The Fox's Rose
by shinchansgirl
Summary: [au][yaoislash] A story of what might have happened if Karasu had survived during the Dark Tournament and come back for Kurama. KarasuxKurama onesided. Mentioned KarasuxKuramaxHiei. Please read & review first YYH fic [being revised ch.1 to 6 revised]
1. Life Went On

_I do not own YYH. This was my first attempt at a fic with these characters, and is now under revision. If your review has been deleted, I'm sorry, but I have saved all reviews in a word document to keep, and possibly reply to on my livejournal, should I find the time._

_This fic contains yaoi, angst, and situations some may consider to be adult. Please don't read if this offends you, or you are underage. There will be no lemons in this fic, and as of yet there are no limes. In other words, there is no sex in this fic, although there are romantic situations between people of the same gender. There may also be situations where the characters are OOC, and the fic may be considered AU after the Dark Tournament in the anime series._

_Thank you for reading._

_-Tsunami _

The Fox's Rose

By MistressTsunami AKA shinchansgirl

Chapter One REVISED2

Date: 8/9/05

_You thought I was just a spark._

_Something that you could control, _

_To light the dark. _

_I am the flame, _

_That lights the inferno. _

_-T-shirt from NeonDragonArt "Fire" _

Each day had been a replica of the day before. Even now, weeks after the end of the Dark Tournament, the rise and fall of the sun seemed to pass as a haze for the members of Team Urameshi, hardly registering as a passage of time, much less anything else. Appointments were missed some days, other days they prepared for and walked to school when it was not in session. Some days were spent simply sitting and watching the sunrise, the wildlife, the world that surrounded the lone team member as he (or she) stored energy.

Yuusuke, having battled the larger of the Toguro brothers and won, still jumped at the slightest shadow when he was alone. It wasn't so much an aftereffect of the battle itself as it was of the nature of the Tournament itself – when thousands of demons are screaming for your death, each flicker of movement in the corner of the room becomes an enemy you have to face. Kuwabara faced the same weary trouble, having once gone so far as to pull his spirit sword out on a ghost, only to discover that the hovering presence was only an old woman waiting for Botan to show her the way to Spirit World.

Needless to say, he had been slightly embarrassed at his own display.

Eventually, though, they got over these trigger-happy moments, recognizing them as bouts of paranoia, and so training themselves to recognize the level of danger and facing it before attempting to skewer harmless souls.

Hiei had carried on much as the smaller fire demon always had, or as similar to his previous life as he could, anyway. Taking his frustrations out on harmless rocks and lesser demons pleased Jr. to no end, but the lack of challenge bored the small demon. He found himself having time to think, which was bothersome, as he had only one thing to think on: his frustrations. The problem was, he wasn't certain what it was that he was frustrated with, only that something had been…off for the past few weeks. More often than not, he found himself thinking on the battle between the kitsune and Karasu, and now, after the fact, he found himself wondering if something about the end of the tournament wasn't as it appeared. It was enough to set the fiery demon on edge, but he couldn't think of what it was that bothered him. His Jagan was of little help, as well, as his facing his inner demons was something it felt was best handled on his own, and so did not answer when he asked.

Kurama had won, though few had acknowledged it, and the kitsune was alive…but something else was terribly wrong with the situation.

Kurama was the only one who had the slightest idea what been amiss with his…loss, and that was only because he had been the only one of the team on the 'challenge field' at the time. He knew that he had actually lost that fight; that slight to his honor was not just in the eyes of the judges.

Or so he thought; he wasn't certain on the matter one way or the other, but he had this suspicious feeling that Karasu had not actually died on that field. He remembered the day clearly, but the end of the battle had faded due to his lost stamina and energy…the crystal rose that fed off of demon blood had sprouted with ease from what little spirit force he had managed to retain from his battle as Youko. That rose had been said to pierce Karasu's heart, and so he had been declared dead…but Kurama had still felt life on that battlefield, no matter how faint.

Kurama had spent the weeks following the tournament attempting to convince himself that the energy he had felt had been his own. He told himself that it was only his own fears that made him think that the other was still alive and after him. He wasn't quite sure if he believed this, but the mantra of 'he is dead' seemed to help ease his fears and let him sleep at night. There was a chance that he could still be alive – the plant he had used was known for being somewhat fragile during the stages before fully blooming – but that chance, Kurama told himself, was very, very small.

He had been very nearly certain that Karasu had moved, just slightly, to avoid the piercing that would kill him, but this fact he ignored. He ignored it, because it did not conform to the creed that Karasu was dead.

So as the days continued on in their slow drag, the members of the Spirit-World team weren't quite sure what to do with themselves as they made their living in human world. Koenma had decided that they deserved a chance to rest, and so all missions had been put on hold, but this seemed only to bore them and make them face the demons that resided after the tournament in brute-force instead of getting rid of them in an easier, more gentle way.

Of course after Hiei had gone through and gotten rid of nearly all of the troublesome demons, and a few not-so-troublesome ones, there really hadn't been any missions to hold.

Genki remained at her temple, working and training her body to compensate for all the power that had left her when she had claimed Yuusuke as her heir and given over her power. Hiei had claimed better things to do than school, and gone on his destructive spree, while the last three had continued with their classes. Yuusuke and Kuwabara were getting along better than usual, the later able to drag the Spirit Detective out of bed early enough to attend his eleven o'clock classes, never mind that school started at eight. Kurama was doing well enough without help, as far as attending classes went.

That is, he was doing fairly well if somehow the observer managed to miss the dark circles under his eyes - clear signs of his nightmarish sleep – or ignored the dull shine to his once fiery red hair, and the tell-tale slump of his shoulders wasn't common on this pristine boy, either. All were clear signs of sleep-deprivation and detachment from normal routines, and the former more than the later was what disturbed the former fox-thief. This could have been because it was something his human mother would notice and try to help him with, but then again, perhaps not. Either way, he had taken to wandering through the parks at night so that his screams – should they come – would not wake her.

It had reached the point where the red-haired boy didn't - couldn't - notice as violet eyes watched him from a distance, covered by long dark hair and a cold metal mask.

His past had returned and was ready to claim him.

Literally.

* * *

Yuusuke kicked at a pebble that had invaded the dirt path through the dark green space cheap-side claimed as a recreation ground, ignoring the rain that pounded against him. His mother had decided – once again – to invite over a strange man for the night, and the black-haired boy had no interest in sticking around. He had tried, when he was younger, to keep his mother from drinking and sleeping with a different man every night, but nothing he did seemed to change her ways. He wondered what it was about the drunk woman that appealed to men enough to come into their dirt-cheap and messy – not just cluttered, but dirty – home. 

Unless they were simply that desperate for a night in the sack with something that resembled a woman.

When he neared ten, men were coming over not only for his mother, but to get a look at him, as well, and ask for a night in his bed. As much as he hated the drunk, he had to thank her for always keeping a clear enough head to never allow it.

Since his death and return to life, she had been taking in fewer men as her lovers – although that could also have something to do with the people who paid their bills, as she was getting a few more 'regular' men, and the drinks seemed to be slowing down. This, however, only resulted in heavier smoking – and she had been spending more nights alone with her soaps. Every week or so, though, there would be someone else there, and those were the nights that Yuusuke didn't sleep at home.

It was just his luck that it was raining this night, and he couldn't sleep on the familiar lone bench that stood at the gate on the opposite end of the field. With a sigh, he trudged through the dirt – now more closely resembling mud – path towards the richer, nicer section of town. There was a gazebo near the edge of some tree-lined paths, if he remembered correctly. It was near the houses of the ritzier neighborhood, and where they liked to hold the outdoor wedding ceremonies in the summer. Not his usual place, but at least it would be dry, and hopefully clean. He would likely not wake up until later if no one found him, but that suited him just fine, as he didn't exactly care for school much anyway.

It was just another night out on the streets for Yuusuke, and not one that he would remember fondly.

* * *

When the nightmares hit, Kurama snapped himself out of his sleep before he could scream. It was late – the numbers on his clock flashed 2:14 in the dimly-lit room – but the demon turned human was wide awake in an instant, uncaring of the late hour. Breathing deeply, he waited until his breath had returned to normal before sliding out of the bed and changing into a simple pair of jeans and t-shirt. 

The clock was flashing 2:20 as he left the room, but the red-head wasn't paying any attention to the hour.

As he left the house, careful to lock the door behind him, the scent of freshly-fallen rain assaulted him. He shivered in the feel of warm, nightly rain already passed over, and the demon within him was crestfallen at the lost opportunity to celebrate the joys of a light rainfall. This voice was easy to ignore, however, because his human mind was still flashing memories of air exploding and the pain as bombs tore through his skin.

Shoving his hands in his pockets and wishing he'd remembered to bring a jacket but unwilling to go in after it, Kurama left for another aimless walk.

Summer was over, and fall was heavy in the air, so his feet took him to where the plants would have been the most neglected. These were the ones who cried out for the touch of humans that they had become accustomed to; these were the trees that bled not of pain but of joy when young lovers carved words into their bark. It was strange to see something that welcomed pain, but even the wood cut down and nailed in boards to make the gazebo near the home of the old lady Ryuuzaki cried out in agony when winter set in and they were left alone for days on end.

But now the park seemed to be pleased, something which did not immediately catch the fox demon's attention. It was only when he knelt next to a towering sakura tree and felt it quiver in delight that he attuned his senses to the world around him, and only then did he notice that the park's plant-life seemed more alive than the season called for. Looking around curiously, wondering who would venture into the tree-lined field on such a dreary night, his eyes fell upon the lone gazebo, and the huddled figure within it.

He considered walking away and leaving the poor man to his fate, but the human inside him felt compassion for the figure that had fallen asleep before he could wander home, and so the human with a demon's soul found himself making his way over. The figure was dressed plainly, similarly to Kurama, in fact, with a head of dark hair drooped down over bent knees and folded hands. If not for the odd twist of the neck, Kurama would have thought he was merely resting, watching the ground between his feet. As he got closer, the green-eyed boy recognized the figure sitting there.

"Yuusuke?" he called out.

The boy stirred. "Eh?" he asked, elegantly, as he looked up from where he sat. "Oh, hey Kurama. What are you doing out here so late?"

"I could ask the same of you."

"Eh, mom called in another one of her boy-toys and I didn't want ta stick around and feel the love, if ya know what I mean," was the black-haired boy's answer as he looked at some point across from him and up towards the sky.

"So you're sleeping here?" Kurama, despite knowing that many chose to live like this in demon world, was still incredulous over the choice.

"Well it was raining," Yuusuke said, sounding annoyed. "Ya can't exactly lay down an' watch the stars when the rain's peltin' down on ya."

"Yuusuke," Kurama chided gently, "you'll get sick. I simply can't allow you to stay out here every time you don't wish to return home."

"It's not like I'm always comin' here. She's cut back to three, maybe four times a week now, and she's not drinkin' as much. Smoke's kinda heavy, but hey, home is home, right?"

"That's not a home, Yuusuke. You know that."

The black-haired spirit detective didn't answer.

"Come with me; you can spend the rest of tonight at my home. I'll show you to mother tomorrow, and perhaps we can arrange something. Just don't be surprised if Hiei decides to drop by – and if he does, please remember to open the window before he decides to break the locks on it. Again."

"Look, Kurama, the rain's stopped. That mother of mine is probably finished by now anyway and I can go back – looks like it might be pretty close to dawn anyway, and we both gotta get ta school. Keiko'll ream me if I don't show up at all."

"She'd also 'ream you' if she knew where you slept at night. Tomorrow's Sunday, by the way; we don't have classes."

Yuusuke started, but didn't protest that fact.

"Come, Yuusuke. What will one night hurt?"

"Fine, one night. But that's it, after tonight I'm headin' back. I don't need ta meet nobody's mother, either; not exactly polite company, you know."

"We'll see, Urameshi. We'll see."

* * *

_It's hard to believe how much my little fox has changed over the past few weeks. Not even a month has gone by and his hair is already duller than it was when I first laid eyes on it. I find it hard to accept how poorly he has cared for himself in my absence. Does he no longer wish for the challenge of a hard and grueling battle? What disturbs him so?_

_I've watched him for nearly a week now, and I've seen behavior I would not think him capable of. He's become forgetful, and distracted. He lets those foolish human females dote on him, as if he were but a small child._

_Feh. I know better. We all know better. _

_Kurama is certainly no child, he is over 500 years old. _

_As much as I hate to admit it, finding that boy – the leader of his tournament team, no less! – on the streets was probably just the pick-me-up he needed. As any gardener does, the fox loves to care for things. All the jewels he steals are probably still sitting in his hideouts, neatly polished and awaiting inspection from a meticulous master. The boy may not know it yet, but now that he is within my fox's grasp he will find it difficult to escape. _

_That is okay, though, as he is already a part of the fox's unusual pack-like nature, and not a threat to my status as his mate. _

_I fear that he is simply tired; I would be too, if I had been forced to live in such a puny human body for so long. Still, I am pleased at how much our battle has affected him…so much that he still feels it, weeks after the fact. Youko would have had less trouble, but I like to think that I would have still won. I wonder, do I still haunt his dreams at night, as I did before our match? When he dreams, am I there, lurking about the edges, even during the day? I hope so. Without something to remind him of who he was, this human world would be so…boring. _

_And I'd hate for my beautiful kitsune to be bored. This world is not the place for him; he must return to the world from which he came: the World of the Demons. I know that he once roamed as a thief, but that is no life for what is to be mine. He will not be allowed to return to that path. No…the castle that I have acquired will have to suffice until our true home is built, and from there we will live our lives. I will not allow him to stoop to petty stealing, even if he is the best of the best. I'll even allow him to bring his pack with us. They will likely help to relieve any tensions he will have, and keep him confined to the palace without obvious chains, making it less convenient for him to simply leave and steal what he needs to survive. _

_Once I wished for his death, because he was beautiful, and that beauty was denied to me because of our places on the battlefield. But the battlefield has now been destroyed, and the need to kill him no longer exists, because he can be mine. I am free to do with him as I wish, and free to pursue him as I chose. _

_He will be mine. _

_He will be, because I wish it so. _

-TBC-


	2. Karasu Returns

_Standard disclaimers apply. AU, OOC, Angst, and Yaoi all play a part in this fic._

The Fox's Rose

By Mistress Tsunami AKA shinchansgirl

CHAPTER TWO REVISED2

DATE: 08/09/05

_You thought I was just a spark. _

_Something that you could control, _

_To light the dark. _

_I am the flame, _

_That lights the inferno. _

_-T-shirt from NeonDragonArt "Fire" _

Yuusuke followed the fox-demon up the stairs and into the red-head's bedroom with little complaint – he didn't want to wake Kurama's mother. The clock above the bed was flashing 4:27, and the black-haired boy nearly groaned. It was far, far too early to be up.

"Go ahead and take the bed, Yuusuke," Kurama said, as if reading his thoughts. "I won't be sleeping any more this morning anyways, and I can make up the spare for you for tonight while you sleep."

"Wait, for tonight?" the spirit detective protested. "I ain't stayin' that long, Kurama, what're you talkin' about?"

Kurama smiled. "You said that you spend the night tonight, did you not?" Yuusuke nodded. "Well, since it's already morning, tonight would imply that you are staying from Sunday afternoon – which is today – to Monday morning, would it not?"

"That's not what I meant and you know it!" Yuusuke hissed, attempting to keep his voice low.

"Be that as it may, it is what you said. You aren't going to go back on your word now, are you?"

Yuusuke sniffed, leaning back and pouting slightly. "Nah, I'll stay. This ain't no long term deal, though! I'm not gonna bum offa anyone when I got a perfectly fine place ta stay at night."

"Just go to sleep, detective. We'll talk it over later."

"There's nothing ta talk about; I ain't stayin'."

Kurama didn't answer, instead sitting at his desk and fishing around a drawer for a book to read. While the light from the hallway wasn't exactly bright – Yuusuke did need to sleep – it was enough for Kurama's more-than-human eyes to read by.

The other boy shrugged, and with a quiet 'whatever' collapsed on his friend's western-styled bed. It gave a slight bounce as he hit it, something his bed never did, and the unmade covers twisted awkwardly beneath him. Kicking them away with his sock-clad feet, the black-haired boy turned to face the wall, his back to Kurama, and drifted off to sleep.

The hours passed slowly for Kurama, who hadn't read as much as a paragraph since his reluctant guest had slipped into a deep sleep. Instead he was thinking of ways to keep Yuusuke coming back, either here or to another place, and not sleeping outside in the cold. Yes, last night had been warm, but those nights were becoming fewer and fewer as winter set in.

When nine-o-clock rolled by, Kurama stood and took some clothes with him for a shower. He could hear his mother downstairs already, cooking breakfast, and thought about informing her of their guest. He shrugged it off until after his shower – Yuusuke wouldn't be up before then anyways. Just to be certain the other wouldn't attempt escape, he placed a small rose vine in the space between the door and the wall to keep it shut – hopefully, his mother wouldn't notice the small green leaves that stuck out from the doorframe.

He hadn't done anything to prevent the other from leaving through the window, but that was unnecessary; if Yuusuke did wake up and leave, Kurama would simply have to bring him back.

After his shower the red-head went downstairs to greet his mother and get some breakfast.

"Good morning Shuuichi-kun," she smiled as he sat down at the table. The older human woman placed a meal of rice and miso down before him and then continued on with cleaning the morning's dishes; apparently, she had already eaten.

"Good morning, Kaasan," Kurama greeted, responding instantly to his human name. "Did you sleep well?"

"Of course, dear. Last night was rather peaceful, was it not?"

Kurama smiled around a mouthful of rice, swallowing before answering. "It was pleasant," he agreed. "But I'm afraid I also have something else to ask."

Shiori turned to face him, leaving the dishes for later, and sat down at the table, not once appearing suspicious or angry. "What is it, Shu-kun?"

"Would you mind if I brought a guest home for a while? He's a friend of mine from that trip I took, and I'm not certain how long he'd be staying."

The woman smiled. "Of course you can, Shu-kun," she said. "It isn't a problem. What's his name?"

"Yuusuke."

"Yuusuke…is he anything like that nice Hiei boy?"

Kurama chuckled. "One might say that…but don't tell them that. They know each other, and don't like to think of themselves as similar."

Shiori shared a laugh with her son. "I see. That would be fine then. I need to go to the store this afternoon anyway, and I'll be sure to pick up some extra ice cream for the both of them. Hiei will be stopping by sometime soon, won't he?"

Kurama shrugged. "It's hard to say. Kaasan…I was wondering if I might propose one last idea to you this morning, before you leave."

"Go ahead, dear," the human said when Kurama paused.

"Well, Hiei has been coming over rather frequently lately and I have a feeling that Yuusuke may be staying for a while as well – I'd like him to, if nothing else, because I don't like where he stays otherwise. I don't want to disturb you by bringing in guests all the time, and we only have one spare bedroom. I was thinking about – possibly – the three of us getting an apartment somewhere near school. Nothing fancy, just a place where we could sleep and eat."

Shiori was silent for a few moments. "I understand what you're trying to say, Shu-kun. You're ready to move out on your own, aren't you?" The human woman gave a bright smile as she looked up at her son. "You don't have to use your friends as an excuse – you probably enjoyed those trips, without your mother there – go ahead and find yourself an apartment, and be with your friends. Just don't forget your schoolwork, and do come and visit me on occasion."

"As often as possible, I promise," Kurama said, reaching over to grab one of his mother's hands across the table. "And don't even worry about the expenses; between the three of us, we'll manage somehow on our own." Actually, Kurama was planning on seeing Jr. and forcing the mini-god to pay for all they needed – it was the least he could do after all that they had been through on his behalf – but Kurama's mother didn't need to know that.

* * *

Hiei perched silently on the open windowsill. Kurama would be upset that he had broken the locks once again, but it really wasn't _his _problem. They were cheap, and easily replaced. It was really the fox's fault anyway, for not being there to open them.

He could hear the demon downstairs, talking to the mother of his human body about something called an 'apartment', and so he was left alone to wonder why the spirit detective was sleeping in Kurama's bed, and why the demon had taken such care with the door.

Not one to sit and think on a problem when the answer could be gotten out of someone else, Hiei settled down to wait until the fox came up and he could ask the plant master. Waking up Yuusuke seemed to be too dangerous a task, especially since his snoring was already enough of an assault to the ears.

Almost five minutes later, Hiei heard Kurama put his dishes away and climb the stairs on nearly-silent feet. The rose bush in the doorframe shrunk back in on itself, twisting its way back inside the protective shell of its seed. Task completed, the door opened.

"Good morning, Hiei," Kurama greeted.

"Hn."

"I'm afraid my bed is occupied at the moment, if you were looking for someplace to sleep, but I was just about to go and set up the bed in the guest room, if you'd like to sleep there once I'm finished."

"I wasn't looking for a place to sleep."

"I see," Kurama smiled. "Perhaps you'd like some sweet snow, then, once I finish the arrangements with Yuusuke?"

"What's he doing here anyway?" Hiei asked, dodging the question.

"Ah…" Kurama sat down in the chair at his desk, watching the spirit detective as he spoke. "I found him sleeping in one of the parks last night," Kurama explained. "I know that seems normal to you, but for a human it's very odd. Apparently his mother isn't the best person to live with, and so I brought him here. He's only agreed to stay tonight, however – he doesn't see it as a problem."

"Ch," was all Hiei gave as an answer.

"I was hoping to somehow get him to stay with us; it would help to get him out of the environment he's in, perhaps help to curb his rash and sometimes destructive behavior. The human world has something called an apartment, where several people can live together in a small area, with more people living in the same building. Ah…I'm afraid my explanation isn't that good; do you understand what I mean?"

"Room-Homes."

"Yes, something like that. Koenma, of course, would pay. He owes us that much. Would you care to join us there, Hiei?"

The small demon shrugged, which was as close to a 'yes' as Kurama would ever get. The fox demon knew this, and knew that he would have to convince Hiei of his plan as well, but at the moment his main concern was Yuusuke.

"I need to go prepare the guest room, would you watch over him for me until I return?"

Hiei nodded, understanding what the other demon meant. Yuusuke didn't really need watching over – he needed someone to make certain he didn't leave.

"Thank you, Hiei. Once I'm finished, the three of us will get some sweet snow, and then we'll see just what kind of living conditions he's been forced to endure."

* * *

Waking Yuusuke up had been a task in and of itself – when the spirit detective felt safe, he slept like the dead, no pun intended – and so the stop at the small ice cream store was well deserved for the two demons. Their black-haired companion had complained loudly, but nothing could keep Hiei from his 'sweet snow' treat, and Kurama wasn't about to try.

Because of these stops, it was nearly noon when they made it to Yuusuke's home – probably made longer by the occasion detour he was prone to taking, more to deter the others from actually coming into his home than because they needed to. "Well," Yuusuke said as they stopped outside a building. "Here it is, home sweet home. It's kinda messy inside, so why don't the two of ya wait out here while I go get somethin' ta change into?"

The hint was clear – 'I don't want you in my home' – but the red-haired demon ignored it. "We don't mind a little mess, Yuusuke. At least, I don't. I'm going in with you; I'd like to see this home of yours."

"Fine, but it's your funeral," Yuusuke warned, walking up the path to the doorway.

The spirit detective lived in an apartment with his mother. They were on the first floor, in one of the more spacious, more expensive sets of rooms. This, however, didn't change the fact that it was a disaster. It was clear from the moment one stepped into the main room that the housing hadn't been cleaned in a very long time. The kitchen was just to the left of the door, and standing on the counter tops were old beer bottles and take-out boxes, some from companies long out of business. Laundry – all dirty – littered the hallway from the doorway to the living room, where a woman lay watching television as she smoked. There was a bra hanging from a ceiling fan, and an old pair of tattered jeans over the trash. Shirts, underwear, and unidentifiable pieces of clothing were thrown over everything, burying or being buried by heaps of trash.

"Yuusuke?" the woman asked, the question ending with a slight hic.

"Yeah, mom. It's me," the spirit detective answered. Kurama did his best not to throw up, while Hiei merely glared at a piece of trash that he could have sworn he saw move.

"Ya goin' out _-hic-_ again?"

"Yeah, not for as long, though. I hope," Yuusuke said, adding a glare at Kurama. It was, after all, the red-head's fault that he was, once again, leaving.

"Brin' me ba'k sa _–hic-_ beer, woul'ya?"

"Get your own," Yuusuke replied, upset. With his hands in his pockets and his posture nearly screaming 'uncomfortable,' the black-haired human boy made his way to his room on the other side of the kitchen, ignoring the shouts of "ugra-f'l br't!" that followed him.

Kurama watched helplessly as Yuusuke grabbed a bag from the floor and began throwing clothes in it. He avoided the heaps of cloth buried by trash – thankfully, there wasn't any beer in here – and only paused to smell it to make certain it was – relatively – clean. "I can't believe you can live in this…shit," Kurama finally said.

"It may be shit, but it's my shit, fox-boy. This is home."

"Yuusuke, I cannot allow you to live in this. Should you continue to live here, I must insist that this place be cleaned…and it couldn't hurt to call the exterminators as well."

"Bugs aren't the only thing causing a problem here," Hiei mentioned.

"Yes, your mother's behavior is also quite disturbing. I can't say that I approve; in fact, I highly disapprove."

"Well it's not your problem now, is it?" Yuusuke snapped. "It's mine, and I deal with it. I've lived with this my whole life, Kurama, and there's not much you can do ta change it."

"I was thinking about that, as well. If you'd agree to moving in with myself and Hiei, I was considering having an apartment rented for the three of us. Uptown, of course, complements of spirit world."

"Jr.'d do that?" Yuusuke asked.

"With a bit of persuasion, I'm sure he'd see it my way."

Yuusuke frowned. "Don't know about that. You talk ta the squirt first, and maybe I'll consider it. Right now, this is only a one-night deal, and no tryin' ta sneak another night out of it, either!"

"Of course," the fox-spirit smiled. "And don't forget to pack your uniform; I'll walk you to school in the morning."

"Now you're starting to sound like Keiko," Yuusuke muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" Kurama asked, steel in his voice.

"Nothing."

* * *

Dinner had been a short get-together of the make-shift family, minus Hiei, of course. The small fire demon had left sometime after seeing the Urameshi home, and neither Yuusuke nor Kurama had seen him since.

Shiori had been pleased to meet her son's new friend, however, and had treated them all to a delicious western-styled meal of mashed potatoes alongside something called a 'meat-loaf.' Yuusuke had loved it, and told her so as Kurama disappeared with his bag.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, Urameshi-san," she replied, a polite smile on her face. "It was a pleasure to have you over. Perhaps you could stay over again some other time? Or at least stay for a meal; I know Shuu-kun enjoys it, even if he doesn't show it."

Yuusuke smiled back. "Maybe I will stay over again some time, I dun know," he said, mentally wincing at his slip into slight slang once again – it was so hard to kill old habits when faced with a situation that required polite language. And Shiori demanded polite language. She may not have said anything, but she was one woman who could make nearly anyone feel bad about lying to her.

"Well, I'm sure Suuichi has already said this, but you're welcome here anytime – no need to ask, or wait to be invited. His little friend Hiei is the same. I rarely see him without my son, but on occasion he does stop by for some ice cream. Which reminds me, would you like some?"

"No thanks, ma'am," Yuusuke replied. "Your dinner already filled me up! I don't think I could handle dessert as well."

"Maybe later then."

"Kaasan?" Kurama called from the doorway to the basement. The spirit detective blinked, what had he been doing down there?

"Oh, Shuu-kun, you're back. I was just telling Urameshi-san here that he was welcome to stop by anytime, and that there's no need to ask."

Kurama smiled softly, but it was easy to tell that he was very pleased. "Thank you, kaasan, but I believe that it's time for us to finish our homework if we wish to be prepared for our studies tomorrow. Would you mind if I borrowed Yuusuke-san for a while?"

The smile never left Shiori's face, and Yuusuke began to feel like he was in the family of smiles, except that he knew one of the family members could kill without a second thought. "Of course, dear. He is your guest."

Kurama nodded, and motioned for Yuusuke to follow him upstairs, a school bag thrown over one shoulder. "I hope you don't mind," the red-head began, "but while you were talking with mother I took the liberty of calling Keiko-san and Kuwabara-san to retrieve the information for your assignments. Luckily, I have most of the books with me from where I studied the same last year – you should be thankful that I took the advanced classes, or I would not have had these. What I did not have I was able to copy down as she read it to me, so you will be able to complete all your work for tomorrow."

"Ah…what's this? I didn't sign up for no homework shit! I said I'd stay the night, that's it!" the other boy protested.

"Yes, you did, but staying the night also indicates that you will follow house rules, and house rules state that all school work will be completed on time. Keiko-san also indicated that you were very behind on your school work, and asked me to help you catch up."

Yuusuke froze. "Look Kurama, I don't know who got you on your high horse but I don't need nobody tellin' me what to do and when. If you're gonna be so high an' mighty 'bout all this I'll head back downstairs an' out that door right now."

The red-head turned to face him, but the danger was evident in the gold tint to his normally green eyes. "Listen, pup, and listen well. You are part of a pack, and while you may be the one who leads in battle it is obvious that you are unable to properly care for yourself. This is unacceptable, and if I have to take you by the hand and lead you through life until you can stand on your own than so be it. Remember, small kit, that I am over 500 years old, and am your elder in more ways than one. If I wished it to be, you would be dead, but I have accepted you as part of this pack instead. Don't disappoint me."

When Kurama turned and walked silently into his room, Yuusuke followed.

* * *

Kurama had come and gone several times while Yuusuke Urameshi, spirit detective, sat on the bed and struggled through the last of his algebra homework. When the fox-demon returned for the final time with Yuusuke's bag of clothes slung over one shoulder, the human boy had just finished, and collapsed against the pillows. "Ah, man…I'm so tired! This is why I never do homework – it's too much work!"

Kurama smirked. "One last thing, Yuusuke," he said, throwing a book down on the bed. "We're going to be going through this book as well, to help you with your English studies."

"But this isn't part of the assignments! This is extra! Come on man, lay off."

"It's a book of poems, Yuusuke. I only expect one to be read a night."

"Can't it at least be in Japanese?"

"Be grateful it's not a novel," Hiei's voice came from a window. "I've seen him when he tutors at that place with all the children. He can be cruel when it comes to studies."

"Would you like some lessons as well, Hiei?" Kurama asked politely.

"No thanks, fox. Keep your books to yourself."

"Ah…maybe some other time, then. Well then, Yuusuke, the first poem."

Yuusuke grumbled, cursing the red-haired demon-boy, but opening up the book and flipping through the introduction. "_And did those feet in an-c-ent time_."

"_Ancient_, Yuusuke. It means very, very old. Ancient time," Kurama explained, replicating the word in Japanese so that the other could understand.

"Right. _Ancient time walk up-on Eng-land's mount-a-ins green? And was the ho-ly Lamb of God on Eng-land's past-u-res seen?_"

Kurama very nearly sighed. "This is going to take a lot of work," he commented. Thank goodness it wasn't yet eight – there was plenty of time to work on pronunciation and meaning.

* * *

"_…in _ _England__'s green and pleasant land_," Yuusuke finished, throwing the book into the pile of homework he had finished early. "Now I'm finished. I dun care what you say, I ain't crackin' another book."

Kurama smiled. "I agree that it is time for bed. I've washed your clothes – "

"Why? They were clean?"

Hiei scoffed while Kurama merely glared at the black-haired human. "Yuusuke, I saw where those clothes came from and they were far from 'clean' by anyone's standards except yours. Now, I've washed all the clothes you brought with you, and I expect them to stay that way. I also expect that tomorrow you will leave these clothes here, and after school you will stop by your house on your way here, get anything else that you are possibly going to wear, and bring it here. I did not say you had to stay again," Kurama spoke up before the other boy could protest, "but I will make certain that you have clean clothes. Tomorrow, after we work our way through your studies, we will go to your home and attempt to clean your room, at the very least, should you wish to stay the night there. Any article of clothing not washed will be brought with me, and I will wash it – even if it leaves you with only the things you brought tonight."

Yuusuke, too tired to protest any longer, simply waved him off. "Yeah, yeah, whatever, can I sleep now?"

"Of course," Kurama smiled. "Go ahead to the guest room; I'll wake you in time for classes tomorrow."

"I really wish you wouldn't," the human murmured, but Kurama pretended not to notice.

"Is this really necessary, fox?" Hiei asked once the other was out of hearing range.

Kurama sighed. "Unfortunately, yes. I hate to admit it, but he was not raised to be the spirit detective we need him to be."

"Don't you mean pack-leader?"

"This is my pack," Kurama said, lips tilting in a crooked smile. "I will always be pack leader, whether you recognize it or not."

"Manipulating from the shadows, are we?"

"That's for me to know, and you not to," was the answer. "Come now, let's go to sleep. I'm afraid we'll have to share the bed until I have a chance to talk to Koenma, but I was fairly certain that you'd rather share with myself than with Yuusuke."

Hiei nodded, already climbing into the bed even as Kurama was clearing it of Yuusuke's forgotten homework.

It was the first night of undisturbed sleep the fox had received in weeks.

* * *

Kurama slowly buttoned up his school shirt, his body tired from more than just his PE class, which had – thankfully - been the last class of the day. His hair caught in the color of his shirt, and he pulled it out gently, lightly shaking it out to get rid of any debris or sweat that may have clung to it. He let out a sigh as he grabbed his books and shut his locker, preparing to go home for the day. There was still a lot that he had to do, even though school was out – his homework, helping Yuusuke with his homework, laundry for Yuusuke (and now that he thought about it, Hiei as well), and possibly cleaning out the apartment Yuusuke lived in with his mother. It was already nearing three o'clock – he hadn't been able to leave early, as he did when classes were cancelled or he simply didn't have any – and while he had gotten a good sleep the night before, it wasn't nearly enough to make up for weeks of nightmarish cat-naps. Getting Yuusuke to school hadn't been easy either, and the demon-turned-human had almost been late.

He felt cold fingers play along the sides of his neck as he thought over his plans, temporarily paralyzing him as his mind flashed back to that darkened hallway haunted by cold, possessive violet eyes. His mind knew not to be afraid of that hallway, but his body remembered the dangerous situation it had been. The need to remain calm and think logically surfaced, and his mantra began in the back of his mind. _'He's gone,' _Kurama thought to himself, reminding the fears that gripped him that the one who chased after him had died. _'This is someone else.'_ Fingers continued to play with the hair at the nape of his neck as Kurama stood before his locker in the empty hallway, perfectly still. Giving himself another moment to calm down, the kitsune asked, "Who are you?"

"Surely you remember this touch, my fox?" a voice whispered, his cold breath ghosting over the flesh of Kurama's ear. The touch of the air was slightly dulled, as if through a mask, and Kurama could almost feel the metal, but he would not fall for some false trickery.

"The one I remember with this voice and this touch was a man that I have killed. I ask again: who are you?" Kurama was determined not to give into his nightmares; there were many demons that could supposedly change shape, this could be a trick of some sort. Of course, it had never been confirmed that such a being existed… _'Karasu is dead,' _he reminded himself once again.

"The fight you gave me was indeed challenging, kitsune; I'm not surprised that you are so tired from it even after all this time. Disappointed that you have not retained more of the youko within you, yes, but not surprised. Had you not caught me off guard during those last few moments of the battle, you may have survived without the illusion of my death, but it was not to be so. I wonder, was it your own fears that convinced you of my demise, or that weak demon with the sword?" The demon behind him snarled with contempt for the black-haired demon that spent so much time with Kurama. "What was his name? Ah yes, Hiei. I believe both him and that Urameshi kid are both responsible for your good rest last night, so I suppose I should be grateful. You look less like death today."

"Leave them out of this," Kurama growled, boldly defying the man behind him, and yet still not having the courage to turn around and face him. "And, better yet, leave me out of it as well." The red-head turned on his heel and walked away, his head held high despite all the energy it took. He hid well that it took every ounce of his courage just to walk away and not collapse at the man's feet. He knew that he would be receiving a visit Hiei soon, and Yuusuke was due to drop by that afternoon; he would need the attention.

A hand fell down on his shoulder, preventing him from leaving and almost causing his knees to give out. "I'll be visiting you soon, my kitsune," that eerie voice sounded, once again very close to his ear. "You'd do best to remember that you are mine."

Kurama spun, his anger conquering his fear better than any bravery or courage he could find. But the hallway was already empty when he faced it, and his assailant was already gone.

-TBC-


	3. I'll Have You

The Fox's Rose

By MistressTsunami AKA shinchansgirl

Chapter Three

REVISED 1/31/05

_You thought I was just a spark. _

_Something that you could control, _

_To light the dark. _

_I am the flame, _

_That lights the inferno. _

_-T-shirt from NeonDragonArt "Fire" _

The fox demon didn't mention the encounter when he lead Yuusuke up to his room that afternoon, instead remaining silent as he accepted the bag of clothes and retreating to the basement.

The spirit detective cocked his head to the side as the fox-demon left. "Is it just me, or is Kurama actin' weird?"

"Leave him be, detective," Hiei said from the window.

"Huh? Oh, hey Hiei. Ya know what's up?" Yuusuke asked, looking over at the ruby-eyed demon.

"No, but I'll find out later. Don't fight with him today, just do whatever it is that 'school' gave you to do and then leave for a while. I'll figure out what's wrong."

"Fine by me," the spirit detective said, relaxing back against the bed from his chosen spot on the floor. "I don't wanna be on the wrong end of those teeth."

" Ch. Coward."

"Whatever man. I might be able to beat the crap outta somebody, but that don't mean I like havin' a bite taken outta my shoulder by a friend."

"Just leave him be for now. And I suggest that you plan on staying tonight as well."

"What's this, a conspiracy?"

Hiei gave him a long look. "I didn't know your vocabulary extended that far. And no, it's not, but would you like to have him around your mother in his current state?"

"Oh yeah, he did say that he'd come over and clean up if I decided to go back home, didn't he?"

The smaller demon didn't answer.

"Fine, fine. One more night. But you sure as Hell better find out what's going on with him, or I'm sunk. Really…I thought Keiko was gonna find me and drag me ta classes this morning! I was lucky she wasn't lookin' for me that early. Got a few hours a' sleep before Kuwabara showed up, though."

Hiei blinked. "After all that you didn't even go to class? You are a moron."

Yuusuke would have commented, but the fire demon had already left, and he could hear Kurama coming up the stairs again. With a sigh, he pulled out his school books.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Kurama was sitting at his desk in his room, just like he had for nearly every other day in his human life. The difference was that this time Kurama was not focusing on the math textbook that lay in front of him, nor was he reading something for classes. He wasn't even asking the black-haired human boy in the spare bedroom about his classes that morning, or the arrangements that would need to be made for them to acquire an apartment.

The numbers on the page splayed before him had long since blurred into a gray haze, and he no longer had the will nor the energy to make them form coherent algebraic problems…he had a much bigger problem to deal with, and it had nothing to do with the numbers of mathematics problems. _'I knew that he hadn't been killed…I knew that he wasn't gone!' _he berated himself, scolding his weakness and hating himself for it. But it had been such a long time since he had seen this enemy that it had seemed plausible - even likely - that he was dead, and he had not shown his face in such a long time. Kurama didn't want to see him now, either; he didn't want a mate.

His body shuddered involuntarily with the memory; seeing that demon again hadn't been a pleasant experience.

It had been a motto of the demon Karasu to claim everything he wished for his own, and he followed that motto like the one rule of life; once he had set his sights on the red-head, either Kurama was going to be his or Kurama was going to die. The fox-spirit had thought that he had ended the dilemma by killing Karasu, but it seemed that it was not to be so.

"What am I going to do?" the fox asked himself. He wasn't really ready to be claimed; at least, not yet, and most definitely not by Karasu, the demon who had tried to destroy him. But if the other demon chose to attack now….

He failed to see how he could have any other choice in the matter. Yes, it was true that many weeks had passed since his so-called win (or loss, depending on your point of view) in the Dark Tournament, and the red-head's energy had returned to him, most likely not quite fully yet, but close. The emotional recovery hadn't taken long once he had convinced himself that Karasu, the one that he had feared the most, was dead, and helping out Yuusuke had reminded him that there were other things that needed to be done. Kurama hadn't the luxury of time for curing this fear – he had people to take care of.

The shock of seeing the raven-haired demon again had sent the green-eyed boy into a near emptiness…a void, almost. He couldn't think anymore, and he couldn't, not for the life of him, figure out why this new development was so surprising, and such a critical circumstance. Ever since the meeting in the hallway at school's close, he had been managing on a sort of muscle-memory. He doubted he would have put forth much effort into finding Yuusuke even, had the other not shown on his own.

It had always been this way, for as long as Kurama had known the other (which, admittedly, hadn't been for very long). The demon's presence, even thinking of him, robbed the fox-demon of his ability to think both strategically and logically. The only reason he had even a chance of winning was because of the Fruit of the Past Life, and Youko, his other half. Currently, he had neither the fruit nor his other self within his reach. He didn't think that Youko would care much if the other were to claim him; he would care about the pack and the body that housed his soul, but not the human mind within it. The thief would remember what happened, and he would regret the loss and the happenings, but wouldn't be able to bring himself to care about it. After all, he had the power to destroy Karasu whenever the need arose. The Fruit was gone, stored away for only the direst of emergencies within Koenma's castle.

This wouldn't merit the use of the forbidden essence.

A sound like a cat scratching resounded against the glass of his window, and, recognizing the energy of Hiei, Kurama rose and opened the window to let the smaller demon in. The gesture was unnecessary – the small demon had broken the locks the other day, after Kurama had found Yuusuke in the park – but was more out of habit. Hiei would have let himself in had he not seen Kurama coming towards the window.

The kitsune didn't speak, and sat back down at his desk as if the black-haired fire demon hadn't just entered through his bedroom window. He stared blankly ahead, leaving the other to fend for himself in the room that had become as familiar to him as the trees outside.

"Kurama?" Hiei asked with concern lacing through his voice, though to the casual observer it would not be obvious in the way he spoke or moved. The fact that he spoke was proof in and of itself. "Is something wrong?"

Kurama didn't answer, remaining silent and staring.

"What is the matter, Fox? Junior send you on a mission again?" Unlikely, since they hadn't been apart from each other for more than a few hours, but it was all Hiei could think of at the moment without threatening to remove the Jagan's ward and force the information out.

Slowly, Kurama turned his face to the other in the room, and the smaller demon was shocked not only of the amount of sadness apparent in the face, but the amount of shocked fear. His head hung low as he mouthed, almost silently, "Hiei?"

"I haven't the time for guessing games, Fox. If there is something wrong, you'd better tell me now."

Kurama looked away, almost as if he was ashamed, and unable to meet the other's gaze. "He's back," he mouthed, but Hiei was not where he could see it, and even his demon ears could not pick up the small release of breath that had accompanied the words.

"Tell me, Fox!" the red-eyed boy demanded, quietly, so as not to alert the two others that currently shared the house.

"He's back." The words were slightly louder this time, not loud enough for a normal human to have heard, and Hiei knew then that the other was afraid of voicing his fears, afraid that the action alone would make them real. It was enough, though; Hiei had heard the small release of breath.

It was enough to confirm the small demon's worries; something was wrong. "I'm taking you to Genkai," Hiei announced.

That was enough to get a reaction out of the previously almost comatose boy. "NO! Mother…Yuusuke…"

"I doubt the old woman would mind feeding another mouth. You're in no state to fight anyone, and I can't be everywhere at once. Kitsune no baka, did you think you could handle this alone? Best to keep all you pathetic weaklings in one place."

_'Is that all I am?'_ Kurama thought, his head hung low in the classic posture of the defeated.

The position startled the fox's companion. Kurama had never been so quick to give into requests, not even at the start of his career, or even at the beginning of his life as a human as the demon within him healed. He had always been quick to think of some other way, some other plan, one that pleased everyone and left his mother free to continue her normal life unhindered and unaware of the dangers that surrounded her. Never had he given in so simply when it meant moving her and revealing at least part if not all of the truth; it would be obvious that Kurama was in danger. Something was definitely off with the scenario he was being given. _'What's wrong, Kitsune? Who has come back that has you so deep in your own mind that you can't think for yourself? Have you even eaten recently? Who's back?' _ The last question seemed to be the most pressing, and, as it concerned who they were facing, he asked it aloud. "Who's back, Fox? And none of your guessing games," he demanded of Kurama.

"I killed him," was the simple response.

Hiei paused in his questioning, knowing that there had to be more to the answer, but not knowing how to draw it out of the stubborn creature before him. His silence, however, seemed to be what the other needed, as Kurama answered after a few moments where neither of them dared to speak.

"I _thought_ I killed him, and thinking so very nearly cost me my life. He…wanted me. He still does. He wants me, not dead, but…as a…mate…"

Hiei growled without thinking. So that was why his kitsune had gotten himself all tangled up within himself. No one had sought to be his mate so actively before, and none who had tried had come very close to succeeding. Murder, yes; bring to trial, certainly; seek for a job, often; but to seek for a mate, no one dared to even try unless they could defeat him in battle without killing him, and that took more power than any he knew of currently had. The only way to mate an unwilling kitsune was to capture him, cage him and collar him, to name yourself his superior no matter what happened. It was clear to anyone who looked that Kurama was unwilling, and, judging from the fox's behavior, this demon was very nearly, if not already, superior - he had the power to possibly claim him.

No one messed with his kitsune like that. _'Wait, back up, my kitsune? What the hell? Never mind, I'll deal with it later. First, no one messes with our pack without having to deal with me first. We may be messed up, but we are not weaklings; this demon's going to die.' _

"Hiei, do you remember the Dark Tournament?" Kurama asked. It appeared to be a rhetorical question - of course he remembered it - for the fox continued without waiting for an answer. "It was him…he kept coming after me while we were there - brushing against me when I was alone in a hallway, or outside, or sometimes within my own room. He was seeking me, marking me, claiming me as his prey. It was horrible. I knew…knew that if I lost and survived he would take me, and claim me as his prize. He nearly did, but I beat him. I thought I beat him. I don't know if I did. The judges claimed he had won, but, to me at least, I was the winner. I think he knows that. He was supposed to die, but I…my mark was off. I knew my mark was off…but it'd been weeks, and I hadn't seen him, hadn't felt him…

"He's been stalling for time, getting stronger as I do, and at a much faster rate. He wants to be better than I am, and it's nearly true, if it's not already. He doesn't take as much time as I do to heal because he's a full demon, and I…I'm stuck within this human body right now. He feels that I'm weaker, he knows it. He's come back…he told me that he would…

"He's come to claim me, Hiei, and I don't want to be claimed. I don't know what to do anymore, and that scares me. I've never…been this weak before. I knew that there were others that were stronger than me, but none of them ever came after me… Youko was always the stronger one. But now, he's suppressed, and he can't get out unless there's real danger, and I'm strong. It's trying to, Youko's power - my power - it realizes that I don't want this. But…it's trapped by this human body, and without it…

"Without it, Hiei, I'm going to fail."

Kurama's words were so…final, so desperately and hauntingly true, that it took Hiei a moment to realize that the fox had, indeed, stopped speaking. It took him another few seconds to process just what it was the other demon was attempting to say. "Kitsune no baka," he scolded once again, "Did you think that I would even consider associating with one who could not protect his own pack?"

Kurama turned his face away, uncertain and unwilling to answer, and Hiei growled in response. Something was wrong. "What was it that he threatened you with, Fox?" he asked, assuming once more, but following the most logical course. "What did he take?"

"My pack, Hiei," Kurama answered listlessly, but honestly. "He's threatened my pack."

"And you're just going to sit here _sulking_ and let him get away with it! All that you're doing for the detective, is that for nothing? The girl, the idiot, Yukina, me…are we all worth nothing to you?"

"You are all worth more to me than my own life, Hiei, but what more can I do? I can't fight him again-"

"Yes, you can," Hiei interrupted briskly, for once fed up with the red-head's realist ideas and showing it plainly. "You can fight back. You can train, get stronger, and then…and then you can protect your pack."

There was a crease in the former kitsune's brow as he thought through the smaller demon's words, his former haze all but broken. Fighting back would take time, strength, effort and belief that they could win, but it was possible, and that was what mattered. He couldn't afford to sit and stare at half-answered math equations when he needed to train both his body and his power. "Yes, Hiei, I can protect my own. My apologies for worrying you."

"I wasn't worried."

Kurama merely smiled at him before continuing. "You're right, in a sense; I've been sitting here alone for far too long, without another to hone my skills. Mother should be fine for the night, and Yuusuke's here should something happen; would you care to join me in the park for a session?"

The small fire demon didn't answer, but there was no need to, they both knew that he would.

Kurama rose from his chair, his decision on the matter made. His stance was more confident and nearly radiated power. When he turned to face Hiei, the black-haired demon boy knew why; the emerald gaze had changed to one of glimmering gold, displaying proudly the presence of the elder fox-demon that resided within the body.

"Until the boy within me can better handle the situation, I think it would be best if I took over his physical training," Youko explained, a slight smirk on his lips as he noted that his companion had already seen his change. "I hope you won't mind, but the human capacity for pain is much higher when their petty mental challenges are no longer an issue."

Hiei returned the smirk with one of his own as he responded: "All the more challenge for me; I was hoping for a good fight."

"Spar; you are pack, I will not allow for mere training to injure you." Hiei frowned, but knew that it was not the time to argue, not when there was a demon on the loose that was supposed to be dead. "We have work to do; my human body will not last as long as yours, but we should both be careful not to inflict any damage to the other. Karasu is out there, and we need to be able to move."

Hiei didn't comment.

* * *

"There…that should last for a few hours at the very least," Kurama mentioned as he stood from activating the final ward around his house, hidden behind the tree Hiei had used in the past to sleep in. "We will be alerted if anything breaks through before we return. Now, FireFly, let's see how much you have improved since I last saw you, and see if you are _able_ to help me train," Kurama taunted, his eyes tinged only slightly gold at the moment, as he turned to walk away from the house.

"Hn," Hiei grunted in response, following Kurama the short distance to the park. "Keep talking like that, Fox, and you won't know which way is up by the time I'm finished with you."

Kurama didn't answer him, in part because they had arrived and in part because he had no answer. Instead he moved to the opposite side of the small clearing, away from prying eyes, as Hiei removed his cloak. His body was relaxed, his arms loose at his sides, and a smirk on his face that didn't match the red hair of the human Suuichi's body, but more the silver locks of the demon soul inside it.

Hiei met the silence with his own, but the situation did not turn awkward. It was a silence of understanding as the smaller demon slipped into a defensive crouch with one hand on his sword, his body facing the other demon. He would not be the one to make the first move.

The elder demon had two definite advantages in the stage they had set. The first was that he was the elder, and therefore the more knowledgeable about what he could do - he had become legend before Hiei had been born, and had lived before the human religious idol of Christ had supposedly 'risen' from the grave – saying 'older than 500' was more a formality, because most demons had not yet lived that long, it made his true age less insulting to them. The second advantage he had was that, while Hiei was a master of fire, he was a master of nature, and there was nature all around them. The plot was full of growing life, from green grass freshly sprung from the previous night's rain to trees that had been planted before his human form had matured in his mother's womb. Without moving a muscle to reveal his actions, the fox-spirit commanded the grass that surrounded Hiei to grow into a long, thicker, stronger form and bind his legs to the ground.

While Kurama had the advantage of area and knowledge, however, Hiei had the advantage of both speed and fire. His flames, if strong enough, could kill whatever Kurama grew given time and energy, and the elder could do nothing if he could not hit the small demon. In his red-headed human body Kurama could not force the grass to grow fast enough to capture the small demon if he ran, but if the smaller demon did not move soon then he would have the younger demon caught.

At the last possible second, Hiei moved, running forward and forgoing his sword for a chance to land a swift punch on the other's jaw. The long grass shuddered in his wake as he appeared to vanish from sight.

However Kurama sidestepped the blow, allowing the small body to slide past him. Reaching upwards after the black blur sped past his ear, the more human of the two grabbed his opponent's ankle and spun, releasing him to fly back into the large, growing nest of tangled grass.

Using the grasses' slow nature to his advantage, Hiei stepped on the flat sides and propelled himself upwards. His blade was out and slashing through the green razor-like edges that threatened to cut him as he moved. The thin slices that the grass could create wouldn't do much physical damage to him, but Hiei knew from experience that, if not immediately healed by someone with extensive knowledge of what had caused them, the injuries would hurt like a sting just below the skin for a very long time.

Leaving the grass for another battle, Hiei refocused his attack on Kurama. He feigned right as he attacked from the left, his afterimage sliced completely through by a towering green spectacle that met nothing but air.

And his real body came upon a wall made of ivy.

The roots reached out from a nearby tree, almost caressing the feet of the boy who stood at its base with a rose whip in his hand. Kurama ignored the afterimage of Hiei on his right from the fake-out and dismissing the one that had vanished moments before by the grass blades. "You've gotten faster," the fox demon complimented him. His eyes were hard and green, a rare mix for the boy, "but I still can't help but feel that you're holding back for this human body, when it can do much more."

Hiei smirked, and it was almost a laugh. Of course he had been holding back, he didn't want to kill the other during a simple warm-up. "Now that your training has actually begun, I might be willing to comply with that request, but remember that the pathetic human body you inhabit needs to last for hours more. Are you certain that you're not going to give up on me, little human?"

Kurama half-smiled, and while the gesture was still no where near the calm confidence that Youko radiated, it was still cool and collected. Despite his mind's protests, Hiei felt reassured by the move that was more familiar than the earlier almost alarming submissiveness. "It doesn't matter that Youko has left for the time being; I will last for as long as need be."

"We'll see about that."

* * *

Kurama's human mind disliked, but regretfully accepted, the aches and pains of the hours of training as he made his way as silently as he still could up the stairs of his home. He only paused for a moment to check on the mother of his human body before he made his way into his own room, body tired and bruised, but not bleeding. The sparring session had worn him out, and the jog they had taken in the last half-hour to cool off hadn't relaxed him as much as it should have, although it had taken the edge off of the sting of protesting muscles. Hiei had been in far better shape, but he had done his best to make the workout worth his effort as well without awakening the kitsune within Kurama. Timing and teamwork had most assuredly improved, and they had taken the time to perfect moves that were suddenly more difficult for the simple fact that they had become expected.

To complete a move that surprised their opponent had become a difficult task that night, and was set as the goal of each of the fighters as the darkness wore on. It had almost transcended into a game for the two demons.

Neither had managed to pull it off before the wards began to fade around the human's home.

The clock flashed 9:45 as fox-spirit's body collapsed onto his bed, not even bothering to pull off clothes that had been soaked through with sweat as he curled into a ball, dislodging sheets and comforter as he did so. Pillows added to the tangled mess, and the young body with the mind of an age-old demon twisted until he could feel the cloth mold into a half-formed wall at his back. It was a familiar feeling of protection: his cave. Head pillowed in the crook of one arm and hair trapped behind him in a tangle of cloth and seeds that would be painful to sort out in the morning, Kurama drifted off into a deep, restoring sleep, content with the knowledge that Hiei slept right outside his window.

* * *

_He looks so peaceful when he sleeps, unlike his sparing match earlier. So open and vulnerable, nothing like when he knows I am near. He has become tense and nearly paranoid as he's grown, although, by our standards, he is not one of the elders. Older than most, perhaps, but no where near the oldest to have survived. _

_I admit that I once sought to destroy this beauty, this strength hidden within a human body, but no more. _

_Never again. _

_He was truly beautiful during our battle, even as the Youko demon. No, even more so as the demon. _

_He works so hard to protect his pack, his teammates, lying there in sweat I would like nothing more than to wash off with my own tongue. To protect a pack is a trait fitting those of the wolves, not like any kitsune I have known - they were more interested in sex and pleasure. But my kitsune is different. He always has been, and always will be; that's why he's lived so long. _

_I will be of his pack. I will be his mate, and he will be mine. There is no denying this. _

_He is frightened of me though. He does not like what I offer him, though it is for his own good. He would flinch at my touch if he were so inclined, but it is not within his nature - nor the nature of any other demon - to show fear, and so he does not. _

_It is…disconcerting…that he does not show his feelings to me, or to anyone. Not even that little fire demon who eats at his pride, shoving him in the direction the shrimp feels is best, has seen him at his worst. I could almost feel insulted for the way he tricked my fox this afternoon and wore him out this evening…but I must admit, I did leave him the opening rather…obviously. _

_Besides, why should I concern myself over such a trivial matter when my fox is so fatigued that he won't notice that I have drugged his guard, and left him to sleep on the lower floors of this building? When he does not notice that I stay with him, and slip into the same bed as he sleeps in? _

_He will be upset when he wakes up. _

_I'll deal with that when the time comes, then. _

-TBC-


	4. More or Less

_Standard disclaimers apply; fanfic contains elements of yaoi and slash._

The Fox's Rose

By MistressTsunami AKA shinchansgirl

Chapter Four

REVISED 08/07/05

_You thought I was just a spark._

_Something that you could control,_

_To light the dark._

_I am the flame,_

_That lights the inferno._

_-T-shirt from NeonDragonArt "Fire"_

_

* * *

_

Kurama didn't want to wake up; there was nothing else to say, he simply did not want to. His body, however, was not complying with this one request of his wearied mind, and was reminding the fox demon – rather insistently – that something was, for lack of a better term, not normal.

He was comfortable, and warm. Surprisingly enough, this had become a rare occurrence for the demon since he had taken over a human body, and it was also a rare moment indeed when he felt so comfortable it was like being safe in his cave once again. Now he felt both, but as he slowly became aware of the world around him – thanks to the urging his body was giving him – he began to notice the subtle differences that made this place different, and possible unsafe. For one, his cave had always been covered by a roof. It was a rather annoying piece of low-hanging rock that would hit against his head should he attempt to stand at full height. He felt no such restriction here, not to mention the fact that he hadn't slept in his cave in a good 20 to 30 years at least. His cave resided in Demon World, and he had been living in the Human's World for the past few decades. This one small fact didn't bother him so much, though, as he curled closer to the heated, firm wall behind him. This was mostly normal, and therefore acceptable. He could feel the planes of the rock along his back, pressing into his skin and shoulderblades…

And the pulse it gave.

That wasn't right; rocks didn't have hearts – they didn't even have blood, usually – and they most definitely didn't _breathe_ unless you came upon the very rare rock demons. Kurama's eyes shot open as his mind fully registered the danger of having someone else in bed with him, and the redhead would have flown out of said bed had not a single, strong arm locked around his waist like a steel band, keeping him still in the morning's light. Someone was in his bed with him – and he was far from that safe, warm cave he had been dreaming of – it had taken him far too long to come to this conclusion.

Kurama heard the familiar, yet not pleasant, sound of someone breathing, the sound rasping through a metal mask. The wards would have lost effectiveness shortly after the sparring spree, one of the reasons Kurama had insisted that it stop. He should have thought to place new ones, but his tired body had not wanted to put forth the effort, and his mind argued that he would have sensed danger had any arrived. He was still tired, but his arrogance and inattentiveness had allowed for his home to be invaded by a not-so-friendly demon. Or maybe the demon was too friendly. The latter seemed to be more accurate, at least in the eyes of the fox.

Kurama turned his head - hoping against all hope that it was Hiei testing him, although that was about as likely as the sun shining green in the human realm – and stared into violet eyes, open and watching him. Kurama nearly screamed, and backed away, but one hand on the small of his back and another on his lips stopped him from doing either action.

"I have come to visit you, my Kitsune. It's quite a lovely home you have made for yourself, by human standards, at least. Our castle in the Demon World will be more suited to you, of course, as you deserve much better than this," Karasu greeted, watching the red-head attentively, but not warily.

His home.

This was his home.

This was _his home._

_His_.

His mother was here, fragile, and protected by him only.

Yuusuke was still sleeping in the other room.

Where was Hiei?

_His mother_.

_His home_.

This was where his pack lived.

This was his home, damnit!

"Get out," Kurama growled – literally growled – under his breath. His fear of the other had been extinguished in his anger and rage; he felt violated, used, and vulnerable. He didn't care if it was Karasu, Botan, or the King of the Demon World (should one exist at the moment, that was always up for debate), he was angry, and he wanted the cause of that anger gone or he would see it _dead_.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me, dimwit. Either remove yourself from this house or I will kill you, slowly and painfully, and make certain that you suffer much worse in the afterlife. _Get out._"

"But, my Kitsune – "

"I AM NOT YOURS!" Kurama burst, standing and facing the dark demon with a dark gaze – if only looks could kill, the other would be dead a million times over. The tree outside his window flung itself against the window, almost shattering the glass, and the rose he grew by his bedside sprung into vines, wrapping around his bedposts with thorns an inch long. "I won, Karasu, and I do not wish to be courted. Especially not as you've been doing. You WILL remove yourself from this house, and stay away from my home and my bed, unless I deem it otherwise, and that is not likely to happen," Kurama stated, his voice overflowing with anger and malice. "Harm any in this house or in my pack and you will wish that I had killed you sooner."

"…you're upset," Karasu countered apologetically. "I can understand that. I merely wished to spend time with you, but apparently even that will not do until I have won you over.

"Have it your way, my Fox. I was hoping to simply take you, but now I fear I must do this the hard way. I hope that you will forgive me."

He stood. Kurama glared at him until he was out the window barely escaping being mauled by an angry tree, and then moved, glare still in place, to sit and stare at his desk. His unfinished homework lay before him in heated clarity, but the red-head felt no desire to complete it. He really didn't feel like going to school today, which was really not like him, but he needed the routine, and needed to prove to himself and to his pack that he could survive one night of training and not be out for weeks. He needed to train again tonight, to get back into shape, to get back the strength of Youko in his human body, and that would not happen if the rest of his pack did not feel him up to the task.

Besides, without him Yuusuke would never wake in time for classes.

* * *

As it ended up, the pair never made it to classes that day. After informing his mother that he wasn't feeling well – as well as insuring her that she did not need to remain at home, and her visit with her friends did not need to be cancelled – he locked himself in the bathroom and took a long, long shower.

The water had been cold for nearly an hour before the red-haired demon stepped out of the icy spray. It was nearly ten o'clock now, by the clock on the wall, and he would soon need to wake up Yuusuke, if only to help the other catch up with his classes. If they could get a decent amount finished before four, then they could spend some time cleaning up the younger boy's apartment and the fox-demon wouldn't feel so bad about letting his human wander home.

But first, lunch. It was Tuesday, so there wouldn't be a paper, but he didn't think they'd thrown out Sunday's yet. That meant that he could spend some time searching for an apartment while their meal cooked. He would wake Yuusuke – or send Hiei to, if the small fire demon was still around – when it was ready.

Dressing, Kurama headed downstairs, frowning when he came upon the sight of Hiei sprawled haphazardly in a wooden chair. Growling under his breath at the scent of gunpowder in the room – hardly noticeable to any but the spirit fox within him – the demon went to wake up his black-haired partner.

"Hiei," he called gently. "Hiei, wake up."

"Ghn," was the intelligent reply.

"Yes, I know you don't feel well. Karasu must have done something to you when he saw you keeping watch out the window. He was in my room this morning."

"…stupid bird."

Kurama smiled. "I quite agree, but remember Hiei, it's the stupid ones who do more damage."

"…remind me again why that is?"

"Because they don't know when to stop, silly. Should I worry about damage to your eye?"

"Not really, but my head feels like it's on fire."

Kurama frowned. "I don't think that he'd risk doing anything damaging – not while I'm here, at least – but if it doesn't go away soon, let me know. Genkai would know if something was wrong, surely."

"Ch."

Kurama's frown deepened. "Perhaps I shouldn't have let mother leave this morning. It seems that he is willing to go farther than I first believed to damage my pack."

"Don't worry about a little headache, fox," Hiei scolded. "Just do whatever it is you were going to do. I'll check up on that human and let you know if she's all right."

The fox-demon's face lit up in a bright smile at Hiei's surprisingly kind – and very out of character – offer. "Thank you, Hiei. And when you return, would you mind waking up Yuusuke for me. We have things to do today, since we're skipping school."

"And why is that?"

"He threatened my pack, and I'm going to make certain that they remain safe."

"Wards, then?" Hiei asked after a moment.

Kurama nodded. "Stronger than the ones we used last night – ones we won't have to replace. There will have to be more of them, both inside and outside the house. Yuusuke's apartment, too, and possibly Kuwabara's as well, should we have the time. I doubt he'd bother with those two though – they are pack, but not as close to me, his target. Genkai should also be informed; should he attack her, she should at least be prepared. I trust her to be able to defend against him, though, or, at the very least, get away."

Hiei nodded. "I'll stop by the temple while I'm out."

"Thank you. I'll be searching for an apartment while I fix lunch – if we don't have a paper handy, then I'll spend the time making wards, although I believe that best left to yourself. I was best at concealing things, which is not what we need in this case."

"Just get some rest," Hiei said, picking up his sword from where it had fallen in his sleep. "You don't look so good."

Kurama sighed. "Right now, I don't feel so good either. It can't be helped, however. Now get going, before I worry too much. And be back before lunch."

Once more Hiei nodded. It was best not to disturb the fox when he didn't feel well, even if you were pack. He might just steal your soul from you, and that was never a very pleasant experience.

* * *

Kurama scowled at the math problem Yuusuke was attempting to answer…for the fifth time. And for the fifth time he said: "Yuusuke, stop. You can't do that."

"Why?"

"You make the equation unbalanced."

"You said that the last time."

"Last time you did the _same exact thing_."

"Sorry," the human muttered, "but I don't get it."

"Look, it's like…it's like killing demons."

Yuusuke frowned, and Hiei frowned with him. "How do you get that, fox?" the shorter demon spoke up.

"See, both Hiei and yourself like to kill demons, right?" The two nodded. "Well, when Jr. makes up his lists at the end of the year, he wants to make sure that everyone's killed the same number of demons. So if Hiei, who is this side of the equation, kills five more demons, what must you, the other side of the equation, do?"

"I get ta kill five more baddies."

"Right! So when you add five to Hiei, you…"

"Add five to my side."

"And when you take six from Hiei…"

"Subtract six from my side."

"Right! Now, do the problem again."

Amazingly, he was able to get it right this time.

"You know, fox, that is the most twisted logic I have ever heard," Hiei said, impressed when he saw the problem completed.

Kurama shrugged. "It worked, didn't it? Now, next problem…"

Yuusuke groaned.

* * *

Sorting through the heaps that made up the Urameshi son's room was getting to be a bit tedious – not to mention the sounds of his mother in the background that grated on the nerves of the two demons. Yuusuke hardly seemed to notice these.

Hiei held up a package of opened year-old pocky with a gloved hand. There were ants crawling in and out of it, and a stain of something that smelled like beer.

With a smirk, the package was incinerated.

"Hey!" Yuusuke protested. "Watch it! Our house went up in flames once already!"

Yes, Yuusuke and his mother had once lived in a house, but after it had burned down Yuusuke's mother – Kurama couldn't bear to ask her name – had insisted on an apartment.

Apparently house insurance didn't cover fires very thoroughly, and in an apartment she could hold the manager liable for damages. Or, more accurately, the people she used to work for could scare the manager into covering for damages.

Hiei didn't comment, but he did start making his flames smaller, mere flickers. Not even enough to give off the amount of smoke a candle did – and Kurama was considering bringing in a few. The room could use a few purifying rituals.

As Hiei turned the 'trash' pile into an 'ash' pile, Kurama added to it. Pizza boxes, old Chinese food, junk food boxes and wrappers, rags with more holes than cloth, anything he couldn't identify, and clothes that he thought the other might wear even though he shouldn't got thrown into the pile to be burned. A few things Yuusuke protested, but when he wanted to keep a pair of pants that were nearly shorts – short shorts at that – for the holes in them, Kurama drew the line.

"But I can still wear 'em!" Yuusuke complained.

"I'll buy you new ones," was the flat answer. "Hiei, burn them. Now."

Yuusuke pouted, but continued sorting threw the papers Kurama had left him with. Had he been cleaning alone, the whole stack would have immediately been trashed, but the older fox demon insisted on them being sorted through for anything of importance or sentimental value, and so the human boy complied.

The two demons winced as, once again, Yuusuke's mother began shouting at the television.

"Doesn't she ever stop?" Kurama asked.

"Huh? Stop what?" Yuusuke said.

"That…cackling. And shouting."

"Nah…mom's like that when 'er soaps are on."

"And when are they not on?" Kurama asked. "Perhaps we should come back then."

"Nah…she only turns 'em off when she's got someone over, and then she's usually screwin' the sick fuck. That's worse. Hey! What are you doin' with that? It hasn't even expired yet!"

Kurama was too busy staring at Yuusuke in horror to notice when he tore the bag of chips out of his hands.

"You know, fox," Hiei commented after a few moments, "I beginning to agree with you. Did you find anything this morning?"

"I'm going to go see Koenma tonight, if possible," was the breathless reply. "I don't care if he has to kick someone out of their complex, this has got to stop."

Yuusuke wasn't paying attention to them, thankfully, as they spoke, instead reading one of the pages before him with unusual interest.

"Ch," Hiei responded. It didn't matter when they got the housing, Kurama wouldn't let Yuusuke come back here, that much was clear. The fox could make geniuses run in circles with his logic – and then, in the end, get the result he wanted.

Yuusuke was still focused on the paper.

"Yuusuke?" Kurama prodded. "Find something?"

"Ever heard of a man named Raizen?" he asked.

Kurama frowned, but answered. "If he's a demon, then the only Raizen I know of is one of the three kings of demon world. He fell in love with a human a while back, and grieved heavily when she died. It's said that every few generations a human from her bloodline appears that looks like a copy of the human he once fell in love with. He then comes to human world to court her and take her to his bed. Rather incestuous if you ask me, but I guess after a few generations the blood is rather thin. I don't know of any human that would take that name – it's rather rare. Why do you ask?"

Yuusuke looked up and held up the paper, pointing to a line on what Kurama instantly recognized as a birth certificate. "He's listed as my father, nationality 'Demon.'"

Kurama continued reading. "City of residence: Makai."

"Isn't that just wonderful," Hiei commented. "We're sorting through the trash of a worthless prince."

"He's half-demon at least, you know, if this is King Raizen," Kurama commented. "More so if his mother is the decent of the original lover."

"Yes, but he's not even strong enough to use that demon blood. Therefore he is worthless."

"Watch your mouth, buddy!" Yuusuke shouted.

"Hiei has a point, though," Kurama replied. "With all the events of the dark tournament, it should have been enough to awaken the demon power in your blood and give you an extra boost, so to speak. And yet you remain the same, brash human you were before the tournament started, albeit more powerful. I wonder what has held that power back?"

"Gah," Yuusuke muttered, crumbling the paper into a ball. "S'nothin'. Probably some joker tryin' ta get away with makin' a girl pregnant. Didn't want ta pay child support or somethin', I dun know." He threw the paper ball into the 'trash' pile and stood up. "I'm gonna head out and get some drinks, you guys want somthin'? I gotta go out if I want anything other than beer anyways."

"No thanks," Kurama said, shaking his head. "You go on ahead."

Yuusuke shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Once the spirit detective was gone, Hiei asked: "Does this complicate things?"

"Only if his powers do show through and Raizen comes to claim him as the heir. There must be a trigger or a lock on his blood, though…something other than power. I don't think there will be any problems, though." Kurama sighed, looking at what was left to be cleaned. The floor was clear, but needed to be vacuumed badly, and the bed needed to be cleared off and made, after the sheets were washed. The desk…well, they hadn't even started on that yet. "He's still pack. All we can do is focus on what's happening now, and not worry about the later. Later will come when it comes." Later also brought thoughts of Karasu, whom Kurama wasn't quite ready to deal with yet.

Neither of them mentioned this, however.

* * *

"_Memory, hi-ther come,_

_and tune your merry notes:_

_and, while up-on the wind_

_your mu-sic flo-ats,_

_I'll pour up-on the stre-am_

_Where sig-hing lo-vers dre-am, _

_And fish for fan-ci-es as they pass_

_Wi-thin the wa-te-ry glass._"

Kurama winced at the slow, stuttered speech. "Yuusuke, please. You're trying to read English, not butcher it."

"Yeah, well, I still can't believe you conned me into stayin' over again. Three nights in a row, god-dammit!"

"If I recall correctly, I didn't ask you to stay over tonight," Kurama said. Then, after a pause, added: "My mother did."

"Well, you woulda tried if she hadn't."

"True, but it didn't come to that, now did it. Now, your English. The first mistake was in the word _hither_. While an improvement over _hit her_, _hi there_ is not correct either. _Hither_."

"_Hither_."

"Right. Now read the first line again."

"_Memory, hither co-me._"

"_Come_, Yuusuke. You've gotten that correct before. You're not trying to make this longer, are you?"

"Not a chance in Hell, fox-boy."

"Then say it again."

"_Memory, hither come_."

"Next line."

"_And tune your merry notes._"

"Next."

"_And while up-on the wind_."

"_Upon_ is one word, not two. Do it again."

"_And while upon the wind_."

"Keep going."

"_Your mus-ic flo-ats._"

* * *

_Why did this poem have to be tonight of all nights?_ Kurama thought to himself as Yuusuke stumbled thorough the last lines. _It reminds me all too much of him…and I'd rather not think about him at all._

"Fair enough, Yuusuke," Kurama said. "I think you did well. It was an improvement over yesterday, anyways. I think it's time we got some sleep now; the guest room is still turned down for you."

"What happened to Hiei?" the human asked.

Kurama shrugged the question off. "He comes and goes as he pleases; I guess he had other things to do tonight."

"What! So he gets to do what he wants but I don't?"

"He's lived a few hundred years longer, and I trust him to take care of himself. At least…I think he's at least a few hundred years old…I'm not really sure. It's somewhat taboo to ask how old a demon is, as age doesn't really matter, and some can be quite offended if you ask. That's not the point, however. Hiei has several other places in both demon world and human world where he likes to stay, and while he may not be able to access the demon world hideouts he frequents, I trust him to use his human ones wisely. Unlike you. Did you ever consider staying at Kuwabara's or Genkai's for a night? Surely they wouldn't have asked any questions, and then you never would have ended up here.

"Although, personally, I'm rather glad you did. I had no idea you were so far behind in your studies; Youko would not have allowed someone in his pack to be so dim-witted. You're lucky I've had the chance to live in this human body for a while, and come to understand your kind more."

"Lucky my arse," Yuusuke sniffed. "I'm off ta bed, monster; let me sleep. Oh, and I may be a bit late comin' over after classes tomorrow – Keiko wanted ta go off and do something. Said somethin' about a movie, I think."

Kurama didn't say anything, merely smiled and nodded his acceptance. Yuusuke wondered as he closed the door to the red-head's room when he had ever felt the need to explain his actions to Kurama.

And why he suddenly felt guilty for going out on a school day.

Kurama wasn't as bothered by these things as Yuusuke. It was part of the demon within him, the need to care for the pack, and it wasn't something that he could easily cast aside. He had been somewhat relieved when the human boy had told him he would be late instead of simply disappearing, it showed a good deal of trust, and that he was accepting his place as part of the pack.

In time, he would be pack leader. It seemed the blood in him demanded it, Kurama mused as he pulled out the crumpled birth certificate. Could he really be the son of Raizen? That…brash, uneducated boy? He had the power, but none of Raizen's other qualities.

Like leadership.

He did have some attributes Raizen didn't have, though. Compassion. Loyalty. Trust.

But would it be enough?

He put the paper aside and collapsed on his bed, throwing one arm over his eyes to block out the lights from the lamp and the flickering clock.

_Memory, hither come,  
And tune your merry notes:  
And, while upon the wind  
Your music floats,  
I'll pour upon the stream  
Where sighing lovers dream,  
And fish for fancies as they pass  
Within the watery glass._

_I'll drink of the clear stream,  
And hear the linnet's song;  
And there I'll lie and dream  
The day along:  
And when night comes, I'll go  
To places fit for woe,  
Walking along the darkened valley  
With silent Melancholy._

The words of the famous poet William Blake…as had been all the poems Yuusuke had been reading for the past three days. But this poem…it was too much like the current situation to let Kurama rest easily. It hadn't been what the poet intended, but…

Remembering the time spent together, that was what the 'day' of the poem spoke of. Remembering the songs of loved ones, and, while Karasu was not a loved one, he was remembered in everything – even daydreams.

And the night…he didn't visit any gravestones, but his memory was good enough for that, as well. It brought him nightmares and visions of what could happen. He could see himself bleeding on the floor, a whore for a man not fit to be his mate. If that wasn't a darkened valley, then Kurama would wish himself dead before his pack.

For once, the night was peaceful, and Kurama didn't feel as if he was being watched or depleted of energy. Still, sleep would not come; it was the curse of Karasu, even after he had gone.


	5. Dude

The Fox's Rose  
By MistressTsunami AKA shinchansgirl  
Chapter Five  
REVISED  
9/15/05

_You thought I was just a spark._  
_Something that you could control,_  
_To light the dark._  
_I am the flame,_  
_That lights the inferno._

_-T-shirt from NeonDragonArt "Fire"_

_

* * *

_

For a few days, the time that passed could be called almost peaceful. There were no longer any bags under Kurama's eyes, and taking care of himself had become more than just a routine task. Even if he was doing more – between getting Yuusuke to classes, cleaning up the detective's room (and, eventually, kitchen and bathroom), helping the detective with homework while somehow getting him to stay another night, warming up and doing exercises with Hiei, sparring with Hiei, checking up on the pack, checking the wards, and doing his homework, Kurama hardly had enough time for sleep – he felt better at the end of the day, and, totally exhausted, would collapse in his bed. He no longer worried that Karasu would slip in during the night and harm his family – the nights Hiei spent away from the red-head's house, it seemed, were the nights that he strengthened the wards. The demon in him could feel the energy passing over him as he stepped through the doorways, the demon deterrents accepting him as a member of the house.

But they had expected Karasu to wait a few days before making another move. They would have been caught off guard had he attacked so soon; it was unheard of.

The red-head was becoming slightly wary as he opened his locker door on Saturday and found a note inside. It was simple, really, a plain white envelope sitting on his books for him to take before he left to go home. Carefully, he took it and opened it.

Immediately, he recognized the poem that had been Yuusuke's personal assignment from him the previous night.

To his credit, Kurama did not immediately panic. It had been a love poem they had read, it did not mean that they were being watched. Anyone could have put it there; he did have many admirers, and some would have thought to give him a poem…some would have even had the guts to do it.

The fox-demon scanned the letter for clues. School had just ended, there were too many people around for him to simply sniff it, and he didn't want to take it home unless he knew that there were no dangers attached to doing so – counter-wards could be hidden in anything written he took home with him. He had to be careful.

There was no signature on it, but the envelope had been address to Suuichi Minamino; his human name. A female seeking attention would have left a name…unless the note had come from one of his few male admirers. Human world had a way of looking down on same-gender relationships, however, so while that did explain a lack of signature, that didn't explain how the note was delivered in the first place.

Perhaps it had been from Karasu.

"D…Do you like it, senpai?" stuttered a voice.

Kurama turned to the smaller boy that stood beside him. He had short brown hair that fell into lovely blue eyes…and, from the sense of his spirit energy, was completely human. Kurama smiled. "Did you leave me this?"

"Yes, senpai," the boy answered, his eyes still downcast. Kurama would not have thought the boy capable of such a risky move; he seemed too shy. "My name is Kuri Makoto, and I'm in the first year. I…someone told me that you liked poetry, and even helped me to pick out one that you would like. He said it was one of your favorites." The boy had the grace to blush. "Please accept it."

"Kuri-san…I'm not sure that this is appropriate." Kurama placed a hand on the other boy's shoulder. "Why don't we talk about this someplace a little more private."

The boy nodded. "Thank you, senpai."

Kurama smiled gracefully on the outside, but his insides where whirling. If what the boy said was true – and he had no reason to believe it wasn't – then someone had influenced his choices. There was nothing to fear if the person was simply someone who knew Kurama and was trying to make a joke out of the whole thing – heck, it could have been Yuusuke trying to get revenge, although a little too planned-out for him – but should the being behind all this be Karasu…

It would become complicated the more people the other involved.

"Will this do," Kurama asked, motioning to the empty tennis courts. "I believe the tennis club's activities don't begin for another hour."

The boy nodded. "Yes, this is fine."

Kurama sat down on a bench, motioning for the other to sit beside him. "Kuri-san, you do realize this…well, it could be considered a love poem by some. It's one of Blake's less dark pieces."

The boy blushed again. "I know, senpai. I…I wanted you to have it, because I…please forgive me senpai!" he suddenly shouted. "I know it's wrong, but I like you! I…I've always admired you, and wanted to be with you."

Kurama's smile was small, but gentle. "I'm flattered to be admired so by my underclassmen, but I'm afraid I must dissuade your interest in me. There is disappointment down the road you follow, Kuri-san, as well as a deep damage to your reputation."

"I can…keep it a secret. If you want. But please, senpai, I don't think these feelings will ever go away."

Kurama smiled one last time and stood. "One day, Kuri-san, you'll thank me. I give this back to you, so that one day you may give it to the person you truly care for." He placed the note on the bench and walked away, pretending to ignore the tears that streaked down the cheeks of the other boy.

"Senpai! Wait, please."

Kurama stopped to look at the boy one last time.

"If I…Can I ask a favor of you, senpai?" Makoto asked.

Kurama nodded. "If it is within my power."

"If…if senpai will not accept the letter I gave him, can I at least ask for one kiss?"

"Kuri-san," Kurama sighed. "This really isn't something you should get mixed up in."

"Then…then senpai won't grant me this one request?"

Kurama flinched inwardly. The way the other had said that…it made him feel awful. And the younger boy was so sincere as well. Kurama turned around. "I'll make a deal with you, Kuri-san." Immediately the younger boy's face lit up. "For one month, I want you to seriously take a look at your classmates and upper-class-women. I want you to look for someone you like, and I want you to take your chances with her. If, after that one month, you still feel the same, I will grant your request of one kiss. However," Kurama said sharply, "and I want you to really pay attention to me right now Kuri-san."

"I'm listening, senpai."

"Kuri-san, even if I give you that one kiss that is all I can give you. I'm afraid I don't feel the same."

The boy's head fell so that the brown locks hid his eyes. "I understand."

Once more Kurama walked away to return home, but this time it was the red-head who stopped to speak again. "Kuri-san, may I ask who helped you to pick out that poem?"

"Huh?" the other asked, looking up. "I…I don't know who he was. He came to me after school yesterday and told me. We went to the library to find the poem in one of the books there…he seemed quite insistent on this one, come to think of it. Have…have I offended senpai by bringing him this poem? Should I have chosen another?"

"No, your choice was fine. Please, though, in the future, do not wander off with men you don't know who have seen your secrets."

"Yes, senpai."

* * *

Hiei appeared beside Kurama as he left the school grounds. "Foolish boy," he muttered, indicating that he had seen what had happened.

"Indeed, but realize too, Hiei, that humans do not actively look for danger the way we do. They wait for it to come to them."

"Ch. I'd say it came to him. Fool boy's lucky he's not dead."

"Too true…in fact, I'm wondering why he isn't; Karasu would be of the frame of mind to destroy any that had an interest in his intended," Kurama mused. "He is a demon, after all."

Hiei didn't comment; it was always best to let Kurama work things out in his own mind. The red-head was best at strategies and things of that sort, after all. It was a rare occasion when he could be easily manipulated, but Hiei did take advantage of those very few moments.

Red locks danced as Kurama shook his head, dispelling the thoughts. "I'll think on it later," he said. "I have a visit with Koenma to make, and hopefully find us a more suitable living area."

"What about the detective?" his black-haired companion asked.

"He's going to a movie with Keiko, I believe. He did say he would be late, at any rate. Would you mind checking up on the two? and then on that first-year, if you have the time?"

Hiei frowned. "I'm not a babysitter."

"Just Yuusuke then. Be at my house when he goes there, and make certain he doesn't leave. Mother should have some sweet snow for the two of you, if you'd like."

The small Jagan-bearer was already gone.

* * *

"Koenma, sir?" Botan called out, peeking into his office through the open door. "I brought Kurama; he said he had something he wanted to talk to you about." The blue-haired girl seemed unusually troubled, but Kurama didn't ask questions. He simply walked inside.

"Ah, Kurama. I'd say it's good to see you, but you usually bring trouble with you. We're overworked as it is; it's a bad time of year for humans – a plague in one of the smaller countries, but it still makes more work for my ferry girls."

"I noticed that Botan seemed a bit more distant today than usual. Are they all overworked?"

"It seems so, I may have to recruit a few more from the training school before they're ready – not many can become Grim Reapers, you know, but there should be at least two or three I can pull from. I really need Botan on hand for other work – she's my closest contact to your team, after all, and she's able to keep a watch on the demon activity in Human World, and know when something's wrong. Quite a handy trait, if I do say so myself."

Kurama nodded. "It would be. Unfortunately, I haven't come here today to discuss the deaths of humans."

"I didn't think you would."

"I'm in need of an apartment for myself, Hiei, and Yuusuke."

The young toddler frowned around his pacifier. "I don't see why; the three of you have lived in Human world for quite a while now without any problems concerning living arrangements."

"I didn't think there was a problem either, until I realized where our detective was staying. I've taken him into my care, but I don't think that my current home is suitable for the three of us – I hope that you are aware that Hiei spends a great deal of time in my company, and, while I do not mind sharing a bed with him, our relationship has not yet risen to that level of commitment, if it ever should. I don't wish to burden my mother with unnecessary work, either, so I was hoping for the three of us to move in together."

"I still don't see why that's brought you here."

"Spirit world's footing the bill."

"What!" Koenma shouted, shocked at the nerve of the demon-soul before him.

"Electric, heat, water, rent, cable, phone, and anything else that arises – including grocery, clothing, and other necessities – Spirit world will pay for. I do believe that we've earned that much from you. Yuusuke did agree to be your spirit detective when he realized he could see demons after his death, but the situation at Maze Castle, fighting Suzaku, the Toguro brothers, and the most recent event – the Dark Tournament – were all above and beyond what was needed in order to reconcile his debt to you." Green eyes were sharp, tinted gold, practically daring the demi-god to protest. "In short, you owe all of those involved more than what you have given – which is, in essence, nothing. And don't even try to protest that Yuusuke did it to repay you; you said before he came back to life that his debt to you was repaid; I've heard that from his own mouth, and Yuusuke isn't one to lie."

For a few moments, Jr. sat at his desk in shock, his mouth hanging open and the pacifier threatening to fall. His gaze fell to his desk; this wasn't the usual Kurama he could negotiate with – something had seriously ticked him off. The demi-god sighed. He did agree that he owed Yuusuke _something_ for his efforts. "We can cover the cost of the apartment – including utilities – but you're on your own for food, clothing, and personal necessities."

"All of it, Junior, or Hiei and I wreck havoc on the human world. Yuusuke would help us as well, I'm sure. We recently discovered that he may have demon blood in him, and he always has been somewhat of a rebel, I'm sure he wouldn't mind helping us out."

"You'd get put back in jail if you tried something like that!"

"Only if you could catch us." His hair was streaked with silver, his ears pointed and slightly furred. "Tell me, _boy_, does your power extend all the way into the depths of demon world, or do you only deal with it's dead?"

Koenma gulped. It really wasn't proper for him to give into the request, but, to be quite honest…Youko scared him. "Fine, we'll cover all costs," he said, trying his best to hide his fear, although he was fairly certain the other could smell it anyway. "Give me a month, and I'll find something decent for you."

"You have a week," Youko said, ears twitching, "or heads start to roll."

Koenma was never happier to see that boy leave.

* * *

Kurama sat at his desk, exhausted after his 'talk' with Koenma. The child-sized god wasn't difficult to deal with most days, but when he wanted something done quickly, the red-head was forced to draw out the demon within.

Which wasn't too difficult when said demon _wanted_ to be let out.

Returning to his human body, though, sometimes left him somewhat drained – although not ever very profusely – and traveling to human world on his own had been tiring.

Maybe he should have waited for Botan to make another trip.

But he hadn't wanted to impose on the girl any more than he had to – she did have a lot of work to do – and he had wanted to be home as soon as possible, possibly even before Yuusuke and Hiei returned. He had. After informing his mother that they were still looking for a place to stay, but should have one by the end of the week if everything went according to plan, Kurama had gone to his room and pulled out his own homework. And proceeded to glare at it.

He was tired; he didn't want to do it. He blamed both Karasu and Yuusuke's mother for the unintended rush and – since they weren't around at the moment – glared out his frustrations on the innocent paper. So intent was he on turning his math homework into a flaming pile of ash that he didn't notice the mask placed over his mouth until it was too late to do anything about it. He inhaled deeply, unable to prevent the instinctive gasp for breath, and took in a large dosage of sedative as he did. He fell limply into Karasu's arms, asleep, and unable to wake up.

"I told you that we would do things the hard way if you didn't comply, pet," Karasu muttered, burying his face in Kurama's long red hair. "But perhaps this is for the best. A good beating to put you in your place and prove that you are mine should still those doubts within your mind. And if not, we'll always be able to have a good match. I'll never be able to let you win again, but…we could still have fun.

"I'm proud of you, in a way. Still, I wish it were me you were protecting, and not some weak-minded mortal. Proud…and frustrated with you. It's going to be a fun first few weeks, isn't it, love?"

And with those chilling words, Karasu left human world with Kurama tucked under his arm.

* * *

Hiei's head still hurt slightly when he woke up. It took him a few moments to recognize what it was that had disturbed his sleep – Kurama's mother turning over in bed upstairs, a few doors down from Yuusuke – and quelled the immediate reaction to return to sleep on the couch.

Something was wrong.

On silent feet he raced up the stairs into the demon fox's room.

Empty.

That wasn't right; the demon-fox should have returned from spirit world long before now, and been in bed.

There weren't any signs of a struggle, but there were signs that the other boy had been home after speaking to Koenma – and now that he thought about it, he remembered Shiori mentioning that he was in his room studying. The demon-spirit wasn't here though. The homework lay on his desk, still half-finished, his clothes and chair were still in their proper places, the bookshelf stood merrily off to one side, the plants were still on the nightstand, leaves fluttering occasionally in the night air when a breeze fluttered past.

The window.

The window was open.

With a growl of frustration Hiei raced to the guest room, careful not to wake his fox's mother. He had assumed it would be days – weeks, even – before Kurama's stalker made another move. He had thought that they would have time to train and prepare, to tell Yuusuke and the others what was happening. He had thought the wards would deter him, possible even keep them safe, or at the very least warn them.

Apparently not.

"Detective," he called out. "Wake up; Kurama's missing." There wasn't any response from the nearly comatose human. It appeared that he still felt the situation was safe.

And why would he think otherwise? No one had told him of the dead man's return.

This time Hiei dared to shake the other boy's shoulder. "Get out of bed, detective." With a slight push from his warded jagan, he spoke directly into the other's dreams. _Time to wake up; Kurama has been… fox-napped._

Yuusuke slowly drifted awake. "…'iei?" he asked.

"Get up detective."

"…'rama's missin'?"

"Yes. Now get your lazy ass out of bed; we need to see Genkai."

Slowly, Yuusuke sat on the bed. "…We're going to see Grandma?" he asked, more coherent as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

"Yes stupid. Get dressed. We don't have much time."

* * *

Hiei had a bad feeling, to put it lightly. Something was bothering him, but he wasn't quite sure what that something was. Perhaps it was because, when they sparred, the kitsune had worn him out long before he had expected to be remotely tired, but that he could easily dismiss. He had, after all, been in the midst of plant life during their sprees, giving the fox a clear advantage. Maybe then it was how quickly the human form of the demon fox had worn out, even though they had been in a place full of plant life. That was something he wasn't able to dismiss as easily.

Hiei barged into the detective's room as the sun rose, rocks settling in the pit of his stomach as he thought of the dark demon who was after their fox, not that any demon wasn't dark. He considered using his third eye to check up on the kitsune, but didn't want to risk the energy it would take, nor did he want to risk being noticed by any loyal to the bird-demon.

Kurama had been exhausted from the talks with Koenma, most likely. If Karasu had managed to get into the kitsune's room he would have…a brief image flashed before Hiei's eyes, not supported by his third eye, yet not turned down either.

He did not like that.

He growled, the sound drawing Yuusuke's attention. With a nod from the detective, they both turned to leave the house and visit Genkai's temple. Hiei remembered to lock the door behind Yuusuke and left through Kurama's broken window, since he didn't have a key – there was no sense in alarming Kurama's human mother. And while Hiei restored his strength, Genkai could summon up the few others who were not already there, as no doubt all of Kurama's pack would want to help in rescuing him.

He only hoped that Yukina wasn't there. He still didn't want to tell her that he was her brother, didn't want to burden her, and yet the ice demon seemed to accept him as a sibling anyway, by blood or not.

Those feelings confused him, and he needed a clear head for rescuing his fox.

Not that he would object if she were there.

* * *

"Yo grandma!" Yuusuke called, having finally reached the top the great staircase that led to her temple. "Where are ya?"

"Over here, dimwit," Genkai answered, standing in the doorway of her home. "Get inside, both of you."

Yuusuke looked behind him to see Kuwabara following him. "Hey, shorty bring you here, too?"

"Yeah. I gotta bad feeling about this one," Kuwabara answered.

"You always say that."

"Yeah, but this time it's different. This time it feels…personal."

"Whatever, man." Yuusuke didn't mention the fact that he knew why they were there – beyond the fact that Kurama (recently dubbed "monster" by the Urameshi boy) was missing, he knew nothing of the situation.

The black-haired boy was the first to enter, followed by his red-head schoolmate. He wondered idly why Hiei had gone to fetch their teammates without warning – it was rather disconcerting to realize that the one you were talking to was no longer there – but didn't think to comment on it at the moment. He had already taken his frustration over that out on a wall, and hopefully wouldn't be fined for the damage if anyone recognized him.

Kuwabara, of course, had to point it out the obvious fact of the missing members of the usual team. "Why hello there, Yukina. Where's Botan and the pretty boy?"

"I'm not sure, Kazuma," Yukina answered. "Hiei was the one to call us together. Would you like some tea?"

"Sure," Kuwabara answered, sitting down next to the ice maiden. Yuusuke sat across from him, on Yukina's other side, forming a semi-circle on one end of the table that faced Genkai.

"So where's the shrimp?" Yuusuke asked; he hadn't seen Hiei since they left.

"I am not a shrimp," Hiei answered from the shadowed wall behind Yukina. "You don't have to stay, Yukina, if you don't want to."

"I'm fine, Hiei," the ice maiden told the dark figure, "would you like some tea?"

"No thanks. We need to get straight to business. Koenma may or may not know about this, before you ask. And I, personally, don't care. I called you all here because you are all a part of Kurama's pack, whether you wish to be or not. He would give his life to protect you, and so I feel that it is within your rights to seek revenge on his behalf."

"Woah, wait up, revenge?" Yuusuke asked. "I know fox-boy's missing, but isn't revenge a bit much? I thought he was only going to talk to Koenma, not disappear to the other side of the world."

"What happened to the pretty boy?" Kuwabara asked. "What's this about seeing diaper-boy?"

"I was getting to that, you dolt. He's been kidnapped, or fox-napped, if you will. We are the only ones available to get him back."

"Oh my," Yukina interrupted, "how terrible."

Hiei nodded, accepting her interjection. "It gets worse."

"What's so tough? Can't we just take him back? I really don't see the big deal here."

"Of course you don't, idiot, after all, that takes brains," Genkai interrupted, saving Hiei from explaining.

"So tell us, Grandma, what's up?" asked Yuusuke.

"Think about it. Any demon able to fox-nap Kurama would have to be extremely strong, and be able to get past his defenses without actually killing him, so they'd also have to be skilled. And, judging from the psycho's reaction, there's more to this than meets the eye."

Hiei nodded. "The one after the kitsune was Karasu."

"You mean that dude from the tournament with all the bombs? The one that nearly killed Kurama?"

"Yes. Apparently, he's not as dead as we thought. I saw indications that Kurama had come back after speaking with Koenma last night, and his mother all but confirmed it. That's not the worst of it, though. Karasu's come back…to claim Kurama as his mate," Hiei explained.

"Oh, dude, that's just _wrong_."

* * *

TBC… 


	6. Master Says

The Fox's Rose  
By MistressTsunami AKA shinchansgirl  
Chapter Six  
REVISED  
11/2/05

_You thought I was just a spark._  
_Something that you could control,_  
_To light the dark._  
_I am the flame,_  
_That lights the inferno._

_-T-shirt from NeonDragonArt "Fire"_

_

* * *

_

Kurama warily brought himself back to the waking world. Everything was heavy. Well, to be more accurate, everything _felt_ heavy. Heavy and…fuzzy. No, not fuzzy, just slow. It took a long time for thought to process, and so it took some time for Kurama to realize that everything was dark because his eyes were closed, not because the lights were out. Slowly opening them, he chanced looking down at his body, expecting to find weights and straps tying him down.

Instead, there was only a blanket.

Kurama groaned, shaking his head and knowing full well that a silk sheet should not feel like it weighed twenty pounds. He shifted beneath the weight, feeling said sheet brush against bare skin everywhere – not an inch of his body was clothed, from what he could tell.

That wasn't good.

Kurama sat up slowly, keeping one hand on his head, reasonably sure that it wasn't about to explode from the pressure. One hand held the sheet to himself, keeping him moderately covered. Once this was accomplished, he tried to slowly think.

He'd talked to Koenma, and was reasonably certain that he had secured a home for himself and his teammates, at least temporarily, and that Spirit World would foot all the bills. That meant paying for the bills. Which meant that they didn't have to work and could focus on school.

For some reason, Kurama got the distinct impression that Yuusuke hadn't done his homework yet, and that he should be doing something about it. He dismissed the thought before it completely processed, trying instead to focus on what had happened after that.

A door opened, but Kurama couldn't clear his thoughts enough to determine where before the sound faded.

"Good morning, my kitsune. I'm sorry about the…accommodations, but until the drug wears off, you'll not be feeling yourself. I wouldn't try anything until then," a male voice informed him. It had to be male – it was deep, and throaty, and that meant male. Of course, he could also smell the male scent in the room. He didn't remember that, in his human body, that shouldn't have been possible.

The words themselves took a few minutes to process, and after few more minutes he'd determined who was speaking to him. The owner was, in the meantime, apparently washing Kurama's face and neck with a wet cloth. "Wha?…Ka…ra…su?" he asked, forcing the sounds past a throat that wasn't completely working properly.

The dark-haired man chuckled, the sound grating through the familiar mask. "Yes. The drug also slows thought process, but don't worry, I won't be…taking advantage of the situation. Although, I must admit, the thought is tempting.

"We'll begin the mating ritual once you're feeling more yourself. This afternoon, unless I miss my guess. And don't worry about your little friends finding you, you're safely tucked into the realm of demons, so unless they want to be killed, they won't be following."

Karasu was gone by the time Kurama had figured out the entire conversation – well, one-sided monologue, really. "Damn you…" he whispered to the walls, and then resolutely pushed away the sheet and stood up, determined to do his best in this fight, whether he was drugged or not.

Besides, if he worked hard enough, his body might get rid of more of the drug than his enemy was expecting.

But first…he needed to find some clothes. If he hadn't completely thought about modesty, the chill of the castle was enough to remind him of his indecency.

* * *

"Koenma! We have a problem!" Botan yelled, running into the room where the small demi-god sat, stamping papers as usual. She was breathless, blue hair clinging to her face – glued there from the light sheen of sweat so rare on the ferry girls. 

"What is it this, time, Botan?" he asked, hoping against every paper he'd ever stamped that the plague had not spread and there weren't any more demon foxes to placate.

"Yuusuke and the others have gone missing! According to Genkai, they went to the Demon world, but she wouldn't tell me why. She…seemed upset," Botan explained, calming down as she worked her way through the explanation. She was upset still, yes, and worried, that was clear, but it seemed she was beginning to understand something. Koenma couldn't say what. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about this, would you sir?" she asked, voice accusing.

"I'm afraid so," Koenma answered with a sigh. He really hated explaining this, but the situation was so rare, and not entirely unique. Having her research it would take too much time away from her duties at the moment, and there were too many dead to have her figure it out herself. "Kurama's been kidnapped…er…more precisely, is being courted. And his 'pack' has gone to rescue him."

"Courted?" Botan asked. "Pack? I'm afraid I don't understand." The situation was too rare to merit a how-to manual it seemed, but at least she was willing to listen to an explanation.

Yuusuke would have been yelling at him by now.

"It's one of the quirks of the kitsune, I'm afraid. More precisely, two of those special quirks. The pack's the easiest to explain, so I'll go over that first.

"A normal fox lives alone, choosing only one mate for life, and keeping its litter only until they are weaned from the mother, then abandoning them to live on their own.

"Kitsune are different. They are more like certain wolves and wild dogs in that they gather packs. A pack can consist of many different types of animals or demons, kitsune don't care so long as they are strong. They would defend a pack member even if it cost them their own life, and are extremely protective. Pack members remain as such until they die, or until they betray the pack.

"Kurama has made a pack while in human form. His Youko body didn't care for a pack, as he had already formed and lost one earlier in his life. His human side, Suiichi, for simplicity's sake, ignored this survival instinct when he first included his mother in his pack. In the dark tournament, the rest of the team became pack members, though most did not realize it. Hiei saw it with the others, but I don't know if he knew he was included or not."

"So…Kurama's pack is his friends?"

"In short, yes. It's only half a pack, though. An alpha, or leader, and tetras, or lessers. There is no beta, or second, as of yet. The closest would be Hiei. It would be best not to get between a fox demon and his pack as well, as they can be deadly creatures when cornered. One of the older ones ripped apart a dragon because it stood between him and returning to his pack's cave. The only instance I remember of betrayal within a pack had horrid results."

"Sir?" Botan asked, after a pause.

"The kitsune in question killed the pack member…by engaging in bondage games and raping him to death."

Botan felt her knees go weak, and collapsed to the floor. "That…that wasn't…"

"No, that demon was Kurama's father, and I believe it is safe to say Kurama picked up few habits from him. He's long dead."

"Thank god."

Koenma nodded. "Now, trying to court Kurama; that is, Karasu is seeking to dominate Kurama, and be a part of the pack. However, he is doing so by breaking the chain of command. The mating ritual Karasu has begun will place himself as alpha, and Kurama as beta, his mate."

"But that's not right!"

"Exactly. That's why the pack has gone to rescue him. This type of courting rarely works, and usually ends in the suitor's death, however ungracefully.

"The mating ritual itself is a little more complicated. Karasu lost the first battle, and so Kurama had the choice to take him as a mate, or leave him. Obviously, it was the second choice. Karasu still had the opportunity, however, to court Kurama, and make the kitsune desire him for a mate.

"The kidnapping is the second step in an unsuccessful ritual on the part of the suitor. I'll skip the successful, since we don't have to deal with that. With the kidnapping, the kidnapper is the one who seeks the mate, and the one kidnapped is the one being forced to follow along. The kidnapper will allow one battle, where the one kidnapped may fight for his freedom. If the kidnapper wins, then the pack is his, and he will be become alpha. If he loses and stays alive, he gives up all rights to court the kidnapped, unless the kidnapped allows. Usually, the suitor ends up dead – with most kitsune, he would have been dead after the first attempt. Kurama's human side has been reigning in his killing instinct, although it has not died yet."

"So all Kurama has to do is beat Karasu, no biggie," Botan input cheerfully, trying to find a bright side to the situation.

As always, Koenma brought her hopes into a downward spiral. "I'm afraid it's not that simple."

"What do you mean?"

"The only reason Kurama won the last time was because he could become Youko. I…don't know if he'll be able to reach that power now, without the fruit.

"And Karasu's a tricky demon. He's likely to have done something to increase his chances, as he was quite determined to have Kurama at the tournament. I do believe that the others are the only chance he has of truly freeing himself.

"Technically, the pack isn't allowed to interfere with mating rituals. This, however, is only a mockery of one. Karasu is a stalker, yes, but he hasn't done his research. He didn't go through the necessary procedures at the start. If the others find him, he is as good as dead."

* * *

Kurama was tired. Tired, hurt, and frustrated, if he wanted to mildly expand on that thought. This was not how he had imagined his love life to be. Why couldn't Karasu see that this wasn't how he wanted it? He didn't want to be dominated by a partner, just as he didn't want to dominate. He'd dropped enough hints, he thought. Of course, if his stalker hadn't understood them, then it didn't matter. 

Gods, why couldn't anything be simple in the demon world?

Of course, things were simple: dominate or be dominated. Kill or be killed. But the lines had somehow gotten crossed for Kurama. He wasn't fighting to dominate, he was fighting for freedom, while his opponent wanted to dominate – was still within the clutches of demon-world logic.

His vision blurred, and he relaxed from the stretch to lean against the cold, stone wall.

He thought, perhaps, that maybe he shouldn't think so much.

He sunk to his knees.

The drug was still in his system, that much was obvious, but for some strange reason the effects seemed to be getting worse instead of better.

The room blurred slightly, and Kurama blinked back tears from gold eyes.

It felt like he hadn't slept in ages, and the very clothes he had stolen from the drawers of the room seemed to weigh him down like ten-ton iron shackles. He felt chained to the floor, but the only thing holding him down was the thin cotton of his pants….

Panting, Kurama tipped face-forward onto the cool stone floor…and passed out.

* * *

Karasu frowned, noting with displeasure that the small group that remained Kurama's pack was getting closer to his hideout. He wasn't prepared to deal with them properly just yet; he could make do, but…he'd rather not. He didn't want to upset his love's pack _too_ much, but if they interfered with the ritual, then he would lose all his progress, and would have to begin again. 

He could dispose of them the same way he'd disposed of that boy at the school, but that would make the fox-demon furious with him, not to mention the fact that Human world tended to notice when a group of that size went missing. The demons wouldn't be missed, but after attacking a few of those girls that had gotten to close to his beloved – and the boy that had attempted (and failed) to court the redhead – a few more humans missing would cause trouble.

Maybe he shouldn't have killed them, but they had just gotten too close, and Karasu was a very jealous demon. What was his was His Forever, and no one else was permitted to go near it without his permission. That was the way the demon worked.

He may have looked like his namesake, the crow, but in truth he was more like the fox than any dared believe. A trickster, a thief…and dominating.

It wouldn't be horrible if his plans were delayed – he had rather enjoyed courting the fox – but Kurama hadn't reacted to the ritual as expected. He admitted that there were certain things missing, but he didn't think that was important. The kitsune had proven himself to be strong, and able to hold his own quite well in a rather overwhelming fight. He was even able to secure a victory in that fight, and that led Karasu to believe that - unless the fox-turned-human considered him extremely weak or particularly vulgar - Kurama should have welcomed the advances that came his way. After all, that would have left him as alpha…

But there didn't seem to be much structure to this pack. They were rather…unorthodox. The boy, Yuusuke, was the obvious leader in battle, even as the kitsune led the pack. Yuusuke the fighter, Kurama the intelligence. But how could he allow some _human_ to have even partial control of his pack?

Karasu didn't understand. He felt as if he was missing a rather large and important piece of the puzzle, and yet the piece was sitting right in front of him. He just couldn't see it…

Perhaps it was time to see to his fox. After all, he did need to make sure that the drug was wearing off properly.

That, and he just wanted to see his fox.

Walking into the room that served as a temporary hold for his soon-to-be-mated, Karasu panicked. Kurama wasn't in the bed, but slumped uncomfortably on the floor, pressed into the wall as if he were seeking protection from the air itself. His breathing was labored, and his eyes shut tight. It wasn't an instant before Karasu was at his side, pulling the red-head into his strong arms and brushing sweat-soaked bangs away from the damp face. Kurama's skin was clammy, and wet. As if he had been working out, and overexerted himself.

He needed a bath, but that would have to wait.

"Shh," Karasu whispered as Kurama began to stir away from him, obviously having realized that the chest he was resting against belonged to his kidnapper. "Just rest for a moment, and then I'll take you back to your bed. What were you doing, anyway?"

"…doesn't matter, does it?" Kurama answered, slow and unsure. His voice was slurred, as if he had to think too deeply to make the words any clearer.

Karasu frowned, hugging Kurama's limp body close. "I want to know if you are hurt, or simply tired. I could check you myself, if you prefer?"

There was a pause before he answered, and Karasu allowed it because he knew the drug was bound to make the other slow. "…I am uninjured."

"Good. You'll need a bath, too, but not now. I'm going to take you to the bed, and I want you to stay there until I return. I won't be long," Karasu commanded gently, in what he hoped was a soothing voice. He was careful not to jostle the sick-looking fox demon too badly as he stood, and did his best to avoid harm to the other as he set him on top of all the covers on the bed, brushing the fiery bangs away from the kitsune's eyes. Karasu left.

Kurama kept watch on the door, left ajar when the other left. _'His attitude…has changed. If only he was like this all the time, I could learn to like him, at the very least. Karasu, Hiei, even Yuusuke to an extent; to them it's all a show of power. They have to be the strongest, the fastest, the BEST, or else it's all for nothing. _

_'I…don't want that in a mate. None of them are acceptable, although only one has even sought to become one. I don't want to be the 'stupid fox' or the beta male. I want an equal. I want someone who will care… _

_'Like this…' _

Kurama drifted back into a velvet haze of black and violet and red, light filtering through his eyelids as they closed to the outside world. There was a press of cold on his face that drew him out what seemed like an eternity later, and he opened his eyes to an unmasked Karasu gently wiping the salty sweat from his face and neck. Worry lined the black-haired man's face, something that Kurama, and probably anyone else, had never seen before.

"Are you feeling better?" Karasu asked.

Kurama nodded, surprised to note that he did feel better, if only slightly.

"That's good," Karasu said. And was that a hint of a smile on his face? "I was getting concerned. You were drifting in and out and…mumbling. I couldn't make anything out. My guess is, since the ritual fight is obviously out, then it's best to talk."

Kurama nodded once more. "Yes…there are…several things…that need…discussed." One his hands gently touched the one Karasu had laid on the bed. "You aren't…a _bad_…choice, Karasu…I just…don't know…if you're the…_right_ one."

"Shh," Karasu admonished gently. "Not now. We'll talk later. You need to rest."

Yes, it wasn't so much a smile as a smirk, a quirk of the lips, but it was there.

* * *

"Hey, shrimp, you sure we're going the right way?" Kuwabara demanded. 

"Hn," Hiei grunted, not even bothering to look back at the other, or correct the demeaning nickname. "Of course I'm sure."

"You know," Yuusuke spoke up, "Kuwabara may be right; it's kinda deserted here, Hiei."

"High class demons like their privacy," Hiei answered, as if the explanation was obvious in and of itself.

It wasn't. "What do you mean?" Yukina asked.

Hiei cringed internally, but didn't let it show on his face. He hadn't wanted to bring her along, but the others, including herself, had insisted, saying that she was part of the pack as well, and Kurama may need her healing powers if Karasu had managed to secure some sort of battle. And then to have her ask the questions he thought even a human could understand…

He was glad no one noticed the slight cringe or, if they had, hadn't commented on it. "The less others are around, the less others can listen in and ruin your plans, spilling secrets to the enemy. Fewer spies, fewer betrayals, and fewer pests, as others are less likely to come in if they think that you can and will kill them if they come near."

"I see…but that's so lonely," Yukina commented.

Her brother merely nodded, once more glad that she did not know the truth of their relationship.

"Hey Hiei," Kuwabara interrupted, for once not focused on his one-true-love. "What's that?"

"What's what, human?"

Kuwabara pointed. Hiei squinted, focusing a small amount of energy from his Jagan. "Low-level demon. Servant, most likely."

They paused, resting as the demon made its way towards them. Well, it was more like Yuusuke paused, and everyone else followed suit. Hiei didn't know why they bothered – it wasn't like any of them were tired, after all – but didn't protest. The demon would reach them anyways, it seemed, and while they were in a hurry, no amount of harrying could make the humans move faster.

Hiei took the time to inspect the newcomer as she approached. The small creature appeared to be a wolf at first glance, but had the torso of a human female covered liberally with fur. Pink flesh flashed across her stomach, throat, face, and legs, showing her half-wolf-demon status. The other half wasn't so easily determinable, but it was demonic in nature. "Hello, strangers, and welcome to master's lands," came her oddly distorted voice as she approached. Half whining dog, half cheerful human. It was easy to see that she didn't often go out among others, else she would have tried to refine her voice to the more human aspect. She didn't appear to be a hunter, either, and her intelligence level didn't seem to be very high.

Hiei wondered why Karasu kept her around, unless the demon had a strange fascination with canines.

It…was possible.

The demon's tail wagged merrily, showing that something had gotten her highly excited. "Night's afraid that we aren't up to par, since we're moving soon into master's new home, with his new mate. But master said you can stay at the castle, cause you're master's mate's pack. Master says you more than welcome. Night can show you rooms to sleep in."

The smile she gave was wolfish in nature, but only because of the sharp teeth it revealed and the slightly husky tone to her panting.

"Are you Night?" Yuusuke asked, stepping forward as the leader of their group. No one seemed to mind or protest the action.

The she-wolf nodded in answer. "Yep, that's me. Master says Night talks too much, but lets Night stay cause Night can take care of castle alone, and master didn't want someone around who couldn't. Master doesn't tell Night much, but he was pleased to bring new mate home, Night could tell."

"She's weird," Kuwabara whispered, more to himself than anything.

"Did they have any fights?" Hiei asked.

Night seemed to think about it for a minute, looking up at the sky in a way that may have looked cute to any other canine demon. Hiei thought it was foolish to bare her neck so cleanly to attack. "No…but master's mate looked sick. Master brought him in and he was limp, and sleeping. Master looked really happy, that's how Night knew was mate. Master never look so happy. Pack stay, make master happy?"

Yuusuke smirked. "Lead the way, wolf-girl."

Night smiled. "Master says you more than welcome. Night show you rooms, then take you to master, no?"

No one made to comment when she began her monologue, not even Yukina; they simply followed the she-wolf back to her home.

* * *

TBC... 


End file.
